Professors look at Xmas traditions
Andrew Burdic
Issue date: 12/14/07 Section: News
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While not every American celebrates Christmas, the tradition's history and effects are felt throughout the nation, regardless of beliefs.
These traditions and beliefs are many times shrouded in mystery and confusion, so several UNO professors came together this holiday season to decode the history behind the holiday.
"Christmas has become a holiday for everything, so it shouldn't be religious," said John Grigg, a UNO history professor. "But religion was the original reason for the holiday."
Today, in a world of Black Fridays and online purchasing, commercialism has taken some of the Christmas joy out of the holiday.
Susan Maher, chair of the English Department, explained that Christmas marketing really took off in Victorian England, particularly with Victorian Christmas stories.
"The fact that we have A Christmas Carol still being performed across the country shows its considerable influence," said Maher.
She said Charles Dickens, the author of A Christmas Carol, was especially interested in addressing the materialism in his world.
On the other side of the Atlantic, Maher said an example of successful Christmas marketing in America was Frank Baum.
"The Wizard of Oz books were Christmas books," Maher said. "A new one was published every Christmas."
Paul Williams, a professor of religious studies at UNO, said as the Industrial Revolution gained steam, Christmas changed as well.
"You are seeing the rise of industrialism in America. One thing about Washington Irving [the author of The Night Before Christmas] and Dickens is that they are trying to come to terms with the gritty realities of radical class disparity, so they want to see an event that all levels of society can gather around."
However, despite its later image, the beginning of Christmas is widely debated.
Charles King, a history professor, said, "The usual theory is that Christmas is an attempt by the early church to create a competing holiday."
These traditions and beliefs are many times shrouded in mystery and confusion, so several UNO professors came together this holiday season to decode the history behind the holiday.
"Christmas has become a holiday for everything, so it shouldn't be religious," said John Grigg, a UNO history professor. "But religion was the original reason for the holiday."
Today, in a world of Black Fridays and online purchasing, commercialism has taken some of the Christmas joy out of the holiday.
Susan Maher, chair of the English Department, explained that Christmas marketing really took off in Victorian England, particularly with Victorian Christmas stories.
"The fact that we have A Christmas Carol still being performed across the country shows its considerable influence," said Maher.
She said Charles Dickens, the author of A Christmas Carol, was especially interested in addressing the materialism in his world.
On the other side of the Atlantic, Maher said an example of successful Christmas marketing in America was Frank Baum.
"The Wizard of Oz books were Christmas books," Maher said. "A new one was published every Christmas."
Paul Williams, a professor of religious studies at UNO, said as the Industrial Revolution gained steam, Christmas changed as well.
"You are seeing the rise of industrialism in America. One thing about Washington Irving [the author of The Night Before Christmas] and Dickens is that they are trying to come to terms with the gritty realities of radical class disparity, so they want to see an event that all levels of society can gather around."
However, despite its later image, the beginning of Christmas is widely debated.
Charles King, a history professor, said, "The usual theory is that Christmas is an attempt by the early church to create a competing holiday."
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