The soul of Christmas, sold in July?

By Lara Pickford-Gordon

snrwriter.camsel@catholictt.org

Christmas in July has taken off in T&T with more businesses and other entities using the popularity of this time of the year—traditionally December, as a strategy to evoke excitement, capture attention and attract audiences or consumers.

According to online sources, there are different origin stories for Christmas in July. The Catholic News got the views of Christian and business leaders on this trend.

Sharing his views at the Archdiocesan Family Life Commission’s Jubilee Family Day on July 19, at Presentation College grounds, Chaguanas, Archbishop Charles Jason Gordon questioned the rationale behind the observance, “Christmas in July, is it double the gifts or is it about double the profits for the commercial interests?”

Bishop Claude Berkley

He said Catholics celebrate Christmas in December. He added, “it is a long history and reason for it. It is a devotion that has been commercialised, it puts pressure on families. Many families feel pressure to spend a whole lot of money that they don’t have…”

Archbishop Gordon said Jesus Christ is the reason for the season, and in a time when many are struggling financially, he suggested the need for a change in mindset. So, when Christmas does come around in December, he said: “We can think of gifts that are far more personal and more about time with each other and experiences, as opposed to big devices that get park in a drawer.”

Anglican Bishop Claude Berkley said the Church’s calendar follows a liturgical cycle for observances in the life of Christ. He said, “it is for the significance of what we call the Incarnation, God taking on human flesh and dwelling among us.”

Bishop Berkley said commercial interests seem to be placing greater emphasis in what is to be a solemn and holy season. And this can cause exclusion for some people.

“They are shamed because they did not do that gift-giving, that shopping and all that goes with it, to the extent a small number of people I know are very concerned with the season as an opportunity for that kind of splurging,” Bishop Berkley said.

Pastor Clive Dottin

Seventh Day Adventist Pastor Clive Dottin sees a progression of the secular approach to Christmas, a “capitalist paradise” which has taken over Christmas in December.

He cited John 3:16. Dottin said, “Christmas has become a thing where you make your best sales pitch. What I am trying to say is the soul of Christmas, the true meaning, the coming of Christ has been lost… and rather than use Christmas now to focus on the Second Coming because He is coming again.”

The Christian leaders believe Christmas in July has provided a moment for Church to advocate about the deeper meaning of Christmas. In an age of social media and using data to influence, Bishop Berkley said the Church can, “caution, to guide and to help people to order the priority of a spiritual celebration and observance, over and against a material frenzy and pandering to, and losing actually the deeper meaning. Perhaps we need to in our programming add to the conversation, point to due care and attention.”

He continued, “…and to help persons who might be confused, enticed, misled if you will, to help them discern what is the new trend that might be developing and consuming them.”

Pastor Dottin stated: “I feel we should try to bring back Christ more powerfully with this issue of Christmas and explain to them what He was all about. I think we are losing that and part of that is that family worship in Christianity, I talking straight here, has broken down. Bible reading is a thing of the past. I feel what we should do is return our youth to the scriptures…to the reason why He came.”

Gregory Aboud

Opportunity to share the true origins

President of the Downtown Owners’ and Merchants Association (DOMA), Gregory Aboud commented the attraction of Christmas in July wasn’t difficult to understand, stating: “it is because traditionally Christmas is a period of exuberant spirit, and heightened feelings of happiness joy, and so on that surround the season itself.”

He recognised that devout Christians could be offended by Christmas in July, however, T&T is an open market space and DOMA could not intervene. Aboud commented, “Different religions have different views about how and why of their festivals and observances and celebrations should be used for commercial purposes.”

He said close to 50 years ago his father started a sale in October at Jimmy Aboud the Textile King. It coincided with the start of the Parang season and sought to dispel the notion that Christmas goods went up at Christmas time. Aboud said: “With genuine Christmas goods, because they are seasonal, if you don’t sell them by Christmas, you have to keep them for a whole year again. So people do the opposite with Christmas goods, they try to reduce the cost and reduce the price to get them off their hands before the season ends”.

Aboud said Christians can be proud that Christmas is attractive to many people of all faiths in T&T, “it is a moment of coming together and joy”.

He understood the right of Christians to feel the birth of Christ the Saviour is a sacred moment and observance which should be preserved and not used for commerce.

Aboud added that Christmas has evolved: “I can tell you from my personal travels overseas Christmas is starting to be recognised in places where there was no observance of religious activity, including some of the most populous countries including India and China.”

On the other hand, he saw Christmas in July as an opportunity to tell the true origins of Christmas, “by being able to say to many persons who would not ordinarily or otherwise think about it, that Christ is the essence of Christmas.”