By Leigh Eric Schmidt
This author uses a plethora of polysyllabic words, where a good author would eschew obfuscation. One need not be a home-schooled National Spelling Bee contestant to understand a straight-forward history book. The topic of consumer rites is subsumed by a vocabulary only an Ivy League Professor of Religion can understand, such as epithalamium, afflatus, charivari and jeremiad.
The book covers the major American holidays of Christmas, Easter, Valentine’s Day and Mothers Day. Christmas and Easter have their origins as Christian holy days that over time evolved into consumer holidays. Some sects of Christianity held to a strict observance of the holy days without the trappings of consumerism. With the advent of consumerism, sparked by the Industrial Revolution, these holy days became holidays highlighted by spending on food, decorations and gifts. This evolution was abetted by some churches that promoted the elaborate decorations that even today grace our churches. These same churches, however, decry the blatant consumerism and focus on the birth and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Valentine’s Day and Mothers Day were created with a semi-religious theme of honoring one’s loved ones and were somewhat supported by the church, but greatly abetted by the floral, and restaurant industries. These holidays have spawned even more ersatz holidays, such as Fathers Day, Grandparents’ Day and Secretaries Day. These are days of recognition rather than holidays and are promoted by the merchants selling gifts, greeting cards, flowers and food. The Homestead Museum Docent should focus on the impact of these holidays on the Workman and Temple family, as shown by artifacts and house decorations.
As important as what the author wrote is what he left out. Even though this book was written about twenty years ago, holidays have evolved into sports-centered days. Super Bowl Sunday is now celebrated with parties, festivities and, oh yes, a football game, frequently surpassed in notice by its half-time show. Only NFL sanctioned sponsors are entitled to use the name “Super Bowl”. All others fear offending the pigskin deities and their litigious counselors. On Christmas day, the NBA showcases its marquee teams and on Thanksgiving Day, careless folks may be afflicted by a glut of football laced with tryptophan. March Madness viewing at work chokes company servers nation wide.
The important lesson to take away from this book is the need for any people to rally around a common interest, whether it be religious or secular. The individual must choose whether the primary focus of the celebration is temporal or spiritual. For the child, the choice is easy. For the adult, the choice should also be easy.
