Horsley, Richard and James Tracy, eds. Harrisburg, PA: Trinity
Press International, 2001. 234 + vi pp. $20.00 (USD). ISBN: 1-56338-319-5.
[1] For the authors of Christmas Unwrapped, the American
Christmas season represents a religion of consumer capitalism that
reinforces the “ethic of consumption” and ultimately “has
little to do with the birth of Christ” (167). Movies
such as Miracle on 34th Street provide its mythology; Santa
Claus serves as its chief icon; gift-giving and shopping supply
its rituals. Together, these symbols inculcate consumer-oriented
values that play an integral role in the success of the U.S. economy. Not
surprisingly, Christmas Unwrapped offers a poignant critique
of American culture, and in particular, the frenzied consumerism
associated with the Christmas holiday season. Though of particular
interest to those within the Christian tradition, the book will
appeal to anyone concerned with the increasing commercialization
of American culture and the underlying value systems that support
a consumer-based society.
[2] The contributors consciously build on Stephen Nissenbaum’s
analysis in The Battle for Christmas: A Cultural History of America’s
Most Cherished Holiday (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1996). Nissenbaum
traces the development of the iconography of Christmas during the
nineteenth century, especially the creation of Santa Claus. He
argues that New York elites—such as Clement Moore and Washington
Irving—sought to domesticate Christmas in reaction to the
urban violence associated with the Christmas season as those without
means often demanded gifts from the wealthy. The figure of
Santa Claus and the focus on gift-giving to children successfully
moved the celebration of Christmas away from this class-based confrontation
in the public sphere to a domestic, family-centred activity. Nissenbaum
concludes his analysis at the end of the nineteenth century; however,
the contributors to Christmas Unwrapped focus on the devolution
of the holiday during the twentieth century into an unparalleled
celebration of greed and power.
[3] Divided into four sections, the book offers historical,
cultural, biblical, and theological analyses of the holiday season. James
Tracy’s historical essay, for example, argues that the surplus
of goods created by the industrial revolution, along with the subsequent
need for new markets, fused the celebration of the holiday season
with the profitable productivity of the economy. Moving on
to the 'sixties, Elizabeth Pleck details the emergence of protest
movements against Christmas, paying special attention to the role
of Black nationalism, Jewish group consciousness, psychiatric diagnosis
of social problems, and feminism. For each of these groups,
the celebration of Christmas increased their sense of alienation
as it reinforced a hegemonic culture.
[4] The second section focuses on cultural critiques. Max
Myers and Kathleen Sands dissect popular Christmas movies, highlighting
underlying messages that reinforce an ethic of consumption and patriarchal
values, among other things. A. P. Simonds adds an insightful
analysis of the implied value systems embedded in holiday advertising. Image
associations used in advertisements, he argues, reveal a “groveling
before images of wealth and power” rather than a questioning
of them (100).
[5] Parts three and four approach Christmas from the vantage
point of biblical and theological studies. Richard Horsley’s
three essays highlight the sharp distinction between the biblical
portrayal of Christmas and contemporary emphases. The American
celebration of Christmas resembles the festivals promoted by the
imperial Roman Empire and ancient Mesopotamia. Far from the
humble story of a Saviour born in a manger, these festivals honored
the power of Caesar and unseen forces that controlled people’s
lives. Max Myers compares the Christian notion of grace with
the materialistic values associated with Santa Claus that encourage
self-interest and the limitless pursuit of more goods. Finally,
Paula Cooey explores the implications of the Supreme Court’s
interpretation of the establishment clause in Lynch v. Donnelly,
in which they deemed a Nativity scene lawful considering its placement
among secular Christmas symbols such as Santa Claus and reindeer. Cooey
highlights the ironic impact of the decision: these displays
dilute the religious value of traditional Christmas symbols even
as they lend an air of religious authority to consumerism and capitalism.
[6] Each essay reflects a bold interpretation of the American
celebration of Christmas and carries strong moral import. Clear
and well written, they engage the reader from a variety of perspectives
and encourage serious reflection on American culture. One
suspects, however, that the strong moral concern evidenced by the
authors predisposed them to see the negative implications of the
American Christmas and neglect other interpretations. Tracy
dismisses Leigh Eric Schmidt’s emphasis on the gift-giving
aspect of Christmas in Consumer Rites: The Buying and Selling
of American Holidays (Princeton University Press, 1995) as a “superficial
analysis” that “runs the risk of facilely equating modern
American consumer excess with underclass traditions of the European
past” (5). Perhaps, but morally concerned readings of
the American Christmas run a similar risk of obscuring the ways
in which the modern celebration of Christmas might build and maintain
communities in a pluralistic society. Only A.P. Simonds and
Richard Horsley come close to this type of acknowledgment. For
example, Horsley briefly notes that the holidays “secure family
identity as well as family solidarity” (171). An extra
essay exploring the possible benefits of a “consumerized” Christmas
would go far to balance the more negative approach represented in
the essays.
[7] Despite this criticism, Christmas Unwrapped brings
numerous aspects of the American Christmas into sharp focus and
successfully illuminates key developments in the celebration of
Christmas during the twentieth century.
Joseph W. Williams
Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL
jww03c@fsu.edu
