War on Christmas
A well-known Christmas argument, often called “The War on Christmas,” is something you’ve probably heard about. This heated topic began with the Puritans. Yet, in recent years, the idea of a ‘war’ against Christmas got a boost from the 2005 book. The book, “The War on Christmas: How the Liberal Conspiracy to Restrict the Sacred Christian Holiday Is More Severe Than You Might Imagine,” was written by radio host John Gibson.
The book claimed a liberal resistance to the holiday. This belief grew when Fox News Host Bill O’Reilly charged liberals with connecting the Christmas issue to non-religious progressive politics.
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Recently, talk has swirled around Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, a beloved Christmas classic. The Huffington Post published an article labeling the story “seriously problematic.” The piece pointed out instances of mistreatment towards Rudolph by Santa and his fellow reindeer. A little shocking, right?
But this buzz didn’t seem to shake Rudolph’s standing much. A poll showed Rudolph remains a favorite Christmas movie for many. Around 83% of those polled favored the film. So, Rudolph stays strong.
Black Pete
Christmas tales have many symbolic characters. But Black Pete, a part of Dutch Christmas celebrations, has sparked a lot of debates. Usually, he’s seen with their version of Santa Claus. Black Pete is shown as having dark skin and curly black hair.
Some people argue this image is offensive. They say it comes from an old, harmful image of Black people from when colonialism existed. This image shows Black people in a silly, lazy, and rude way for entertainment purposes.
OCD Christmas Sweater
In the past, we talked about a problem with Christmas sweaters at Hallmark. Yet, Hallmark isn’t the only one having trouble with festive sweaters. Target had a similar headache after showing off its “Obsessive Christmas Disorder” or “OCD” Christmas sweater. Unhappy customers raised their voices. They said that the sweater made a joke out of a real mental illness.
It made life harder for people dealing with obsessive-compulsive disorder. Josh Thomas, speaking for Target, gave an answer-back. He simply said, “We always want to make our customers happy. If we caused any upset, we’re truly sorry.”
Naked Man Nativity Scene
In the past, we talked about a problem with Christmas sweaters at Hallmark. Yet, Hallmark isn’t the only one having trouble with festive sweaters. Target had a similar headache after showing off its “Obsessive Christmas Disorder” or “OCD” Christmas sweater. Unhappy customers raised their voices. They said that the sweater made a joke out of a real mental illness.
It made life harder for people dealing with obsessive-compulsive disorder. Josh Thomas, speaking for Target, gave an answer-back. He simply said, “We always want to make our customers happy. If we caused any upset, we’re truly sorry.”
Zombie Nativity
Remember the skeleton Santa causing uproar in a town? A similar situation happened in Deer Park, Ohio. A zombie nativity scene caused a large stir among the local zoning authorities and religious groups. They claimed it was disrespectful and not appropriate. Even though this scene was in a private yard, the zoning officials issued fines to its creators, Jasen and Amanda Dixon. They demanded the removal of the zombie nativity scene.
The scene had undead versions of Mary, Joseph, the wise men, and a baby Jesus in a manger. To make it more eerie, a creepy version of “Silent Night” played while rainbow-colored lights lit up the scene.
Black Santa
You might already be aware that, sadly, racism remains an ongoing problem. A recent example illustrates this sad truth. Meet retired Army Captain Larry Jefferson. He was chosen at a Santa convention to be Santa at the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota. Quickly, Larry won the hearts of kids and parents alike. But, as people started to love him more, some started to disapprove. Why?
Well, Larry is African American. And some folks just couldn’t accept a black Santa. This sad event makes us wonder, who’s really on the naughty list this Christmas?
Polar Bear Cookies
Remember when we talked about the argument over Starbucks’ Christmas cups? Well, there’s been more than just cup drama. In 2015, Starbucks rolled out cookies with cute polar bears wearing red scarves. Sounds harmless, right?
However, some people mistook the red scarves as looking like blood. This made the white polar bear look like it had a bloody neck, which bothered a lot of folks. Although most people were aware of their meaning, some still criticize this. However, their main object was to give pre-Christmas vibes to the citizens by introducing the creative way. Do you think folks overreacted about this cookie?
Hallmark Sweater
Funky Christmas sweaters can be a visual challenge, notably for people with a knack for the style of [insert your favorite designer’s name here]. Truth be told, I’m not a style guru either. Anyway.
In 2013, Hallmark upset a few folks with its Christmas sweater design. Guess, why from the image? They swapped “Gay” for “Fun” (the actual sweater words follow the song lyrics “Don we now our gay clothing”). This led to some tagging Hallmark as “homophobic,” and some even demanding a boycott. Later, Hallmark said sorry: “The varied responses to the change in sweater lyrics surprised us, and we regret stirring such worry.”
Skeleton Santa
Santa, who wears a big red suit, comes in many forms. But a shocking one appeared in front of a courthouse in Leesburg. A skeleton Santa on a cross (you read that correctly) left locals surprised. One local decided to take it down.
Jeff Heflin Jr., from Middleburg, explained the strange Santa. He said it shows how love for things can kill the peace, love, and joy you should feel during holidays. What are your thoughts? Was this display a bit much?
Starbucks’ Christmas Cups
Starbucks Christmas cups have been an enduring tradition in modern times, much different than the stoic Christmases of the Puritan ages. Despite our progress, Christmas-related debates persist, with Starbucks in the spotlight.
Each holiday season, Starbucks reveals a new Christmas cup design. It’s a highlight for some but a letdown for others. The Starbucks Christmas cup often lands on the list of holiday debates. Starbucks began crafting Christmas cups in 1997, but their cup arguments took off in 2015 when they presented an all-red Christmas cup. Intended to “invite all our narratives,” the design felt excluding some. Christians claimed the cup tried to “remove Christ and Christmas from their cups.” From that moment, Starbucks unintentionally upset this specific group.
The Bam Earthquake
On December 26th, 2003, a strong 6.7 magnitude earthquake (as per the U.S. Geological Survey) hit the old Iranian city of Bam.
This quake, which lasted for approximately 8 seconds, resulted in the tragic loss of more than 26,000 lives. It also leveled nearly 70 to 90 per cent of the homes.
Boxing Day Tsunami
December 26, 2004, was a tragic day. An enormous earthquake, ranking 9.1 on the Richter scale, struck off the coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. This extreme quake sparked a devastating tsunami wave. This wave, known as the Boxing Day Tsunami, surged across the Indian Ocean. It left destruction wherever it went. This destructive wave drowned entire coastal communities. The toll was a massive estimated 230,000 people. These waves could reach incredible heights of over 100 feet.
Houses fell apart as the strong waves didn’t stop hitting, making everything look empty, broken dreams and lives everywhere. The tsunami on the day after Christmas showed us how strong our Earth can be and how our lives can be so fragile when nature shows its power.
The Christmas Train Crash
One of New Zealand’s biggest train disasters happened on the Christmas break in 1953. Around 10:30 PM on Christmas Eve, a fast passenger train with nearly 285 passengers crossed a bridge over the Whangaehu River.
Unseen, a sudden flood had destroyed the supports of the bridge only moments before. Tragically, as the train was crossing, the bridge collapsed, causing all five second-class and one first-class carriage to fall into the river. Sadly, this incident resulted in 151 deaths.
The Christmas Race War
It’s unfortunate, but even joyous occasions like Christmas are not immune to acts of racial prejudice. One glaring incident took place just days before Christmas in 1896 in Mayfield, KY, where a harsh racial conflict unfolded between white residents and African Americans. About 250 African Americans, heavily armed, fought back against the execution of Jim Stone and other racially-driven wrongdoings. They chose to protest through aggression.
Whites were advised to remain indoors as streets echoed with the sounds of gunfire. Despite the violent circumstances, death claimed only three lives.
The Christmas Cyclone
In 1974, on Christmas day, Australia experienced the most damaging cyclone in its history. Cyclone Tracy rolled through Darwin without warning, ruining nearly 70% of the city.
This terrible cyclone is thought to have taken around 71 lives and left a damage bill of about $500-600 million (equivalent to $2.5 to $3 billion now). Nearly 30,000 people had no homes, with only a small 6% of the houses left unscathed.
Italian Hall Disaster
It was in the small copper town of Calumet, Michigan, where U.S. history’s most lethal crowd panic unfolded. A brutal strike by the area’s 9,000 unionized copper miners set the scene. A Christmas party for the miners’ kids marked Christmas eve of 1913. It was hosted by the union, the Western Federation of Miners, at Calumet’s Italian Hall. An event intended as a break from the unrest quickly spiralled into terror. Somebody unknown in a hall crowded with 700 people, including 400 children, shouted, “Fire.”
Amidst the ensuing panic, individuals desperately tried to exit the narrow passageways. According to the reports, 73 people, including 13 women and 59 kids, lost their lives in such a massive stampede. The worst part: there was no fire.
Christmas Hijacking
In 1994, on the night before Christmas, Air France Flight 8969 became a terrifying scene. Four men armed with machine guns, TNT, and handmade explosives took over the plane. These dangerous men were part of a violent, radical Islamic group. Their goal? To demand a Sharia law-based Algeria. What ensued was a chilling two-day standoff which tragically took the lives of three innocent individuals. But, it could have been even more disastrous.
The French Special Forces intervened, bravely securing the plane and eliminating the threats. Some reports suggested that the hijackers had planned to fly the plane to Paris. A plan like that could have killed everyone on the flight and possibly hundreds more on the ground.
Lawson Family Christmas
The Lawson Family’s Christmas tragedy is a dreadful event in North Carolina history. On Christmas Day, 1929, Charlie Lawson chillingly took the lives of most of his family. He began with his two girls, whom he targeted with a shotgun, then proceeded to fatally beat them. He then turned his rage and gun towards his wife. Marie, the eldest daughter, was found baking a cake – she became his next victim. The two younger brothers, James and Raymond, futilely sought to hide from their father. They were his next targets.
Lastly, baby Mary Lou met her cruel end. Charlie used brute force to end her life before inflicting the same fate upon himself. The tragedy’s sole survivor was Arthur, the eldest son. His father had sent him on a task the night before the deadly event took place.
Congo Massacre
These stories are all upsetting…I understand. As I see it, the most sorrowful Christmas incident happened in this way. Between December 24 and January 13, the Warriors of the rebel Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) savagely killed at least 620 people and kidnapped over 160 kids in north Congo.
Most of this violence happened on December 24th and 25th. Simply put, these cruel beings ended 620 lives over Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
Pole Dancing on a Christmas Parade
In Jacksonville, North Carolina, eyebrows were raised when a local dance studio included a pole dancing act in a Christmas parade. The studio defended it, saying they meant to highlight physical strength, not to cause a stir.
Nevertheless, some onlookers frowned upon it, thinking it didn’t match the family-oriented occasion. A pastor never shielded his kids’ eyes from the act, which made people speculate if he also looked away.
