Peace on Earth and Goodwill to all men – and women
People have been complaining about the commercialisation of Christmas for as long as I can remember.
Visiting a supermarket, Christmas seems to just be about Santa Claus, reindeer and ‘let it snow’ (which is unlikely these days). Finding a box of chocs, gift card or even a Christmas card with a nativity theme is quite a challenge. In the days that my parents ran a shop, most of the Christmas cards sold were nativity scenes.
Christmas carols are among some of our best loved songs, yet attendances at Church Carol services have been falling for years, and I can’t remember the last time that Carol singers visited my street.
British people now prefer secular European imports such as the street markets with a German or continental theme. There’s nothing wrong with that – the Chrstmas tree was introduced to Britain in Georgian times by the Hanoverian monarchs and really started to take off after Queen Victoria married her German husband Prince Albert.
There seems to be less emphasis on the ‘Christmas spirit’ of Peace on Earth and Goodwill to all men!
Among the supermarket staff was a young Muslim woman wearing a hijab (head scarf) and a bright Christmas jumper, and I’m told that at the local Primary School pupils of all backgrounds and faiths wore Christmas jumpers on a designated day.
So what of the non Christian shop workers?
I started by talking to a colleague of the Sikh heritage. In common with many others, Christmas would be a toned down affair this year because of COVID, but will still be a valued family get together. The rest of the workers I spoke to at the store were Muslims of Pakistani heritage.
A bakery worker buys a halal turkey every year for a family celebration. Usually seen in western dress, traditional clothes are worn as they are for other religious celebrations. A checkout worker spoke with fondness of the Christmas family gathering and the joy of giving presents to grandchildren.
Leaving the store I met Nav working on the self scan. For him Christmas is an important family celebration. He asserts that Christ is recognised by Muslims as the Messiah and a great Prophet and feels that he has a right to celebrate Christmas as Christians do.
What about other countries?
Pakistan is the only country in the World specifically founded as a sanctuary for Muslims. Only 1.5% of the population is Christian, although as the fifth most populous country in the World that represents over two million people. The country’s founding father Mohammed Ali Jinnah was born on 25th December, so this day has been designated as a National Holiday. Boxing Day and three days around Easter are designated as “optional holidays”.
Returning home, I received a Christmas greeting from a friend in Zanzibar. It said “Christmas means a lot in Zanzibar ‘cos of a mix of cultures from all over the World”. Zanzibar is a tourist destination, but it’s population remains 99% Muslim.
I also spoke to a Muslim refugee from the northern Syrian city of Aleppo. Around 10% of Syrians are Christian. He spoke nostalgically of Christmas in Aleppo, of his family walking out to see the Christmas tree that was erected every year in the city, and to view the Christmas lights in the windows of Christian households. Christmas wasn’t a celebration as such, and some Muslim scholars suggest that Muslims shouldn’t celebrate, but it was an opportunity to socialise with Christian friends and share their goodwill. In fact he felt that Christmas was more of a religious celebration in Aleppo than it is here. Christmas Day and Easter Sunday are National Holidays in Syria.
Christmas is a National Holiday in Muslim countries with substantial Christian minorities, such as Lebanon and Egypt, although in Egypt it is the Coptic Christmas that is celebrated on January 7th. Jordan, where just 4% of the population is Christian, also celebrates Christmas as a public holiday.
In most of the Arabian peninsula and north Africa, Christmas is not widely celebrated. In Israel (2% Christian, mostly living in Nazareth) Christmas is just another day except at Nazareth and the churches that are mainly a focus for tourists and pilgrims.
It’s a different story in the West Bank and Gaza strip. In Gaza, home to just over 1,000 Christians, the ruling Hamas party don’t totally approve, but festivities are led by the Muslim community, with Christmas themed face masks this years must have fashion accessory.
The Palestine National Authorities territory includes Bethlehem and although just 6% of the territory’s population is Christian (the figure is much higher among exiles) the authority throws itself into the celebrations at the Church of the Nativity and Manger Square.
This may not be a good year for tourism and pilgrimages, but many Palestinians still see themselves as custodians of one of the most important Christian sites, even in the midst of one of the Worlds most enduring conflicts.
We may be missing the Carol singers, but perhaps Christmas still has a message of Peace on Earth and Goodwill to all men (and women)!
Photo: Christmas at Bethlehem
