The Patriotification of Holidays

Have you noticed how each holiday is beginning to look more and more like the 4th of July? First it was Veterans Day. All the right, white and blue draped over everything. Then it was Memorial Day. I was shocked when I saw Target selling fireworks for that holiday. Isn't Memorial Day supposed to be something where you mourn for those who have lost their lives?

I happen to do some consulting work for a company that sells personalized stationary. This work gives me a sneak peak into upcoming holidays. And I can tell you that the next holiday that is about to go through patriotification is Christmas. I saw a card that has a flag-draped Christmas present that said something like giving you the gift of freedom. Another card has a Christmas tree decorated with American flags. What else will we see during Christmas? Certainly red, white and blue lights will decorate trees. Instead of luminarios will we see bottle rockets? Will Santa come dressed in combat fatigues? Will frosty's coal eyes get replaced by security cameras?

Don't know about you, but I'm sick of it. Care to rant along with me about your patriotic theming of Christmas and any other holidays?

•  I see nothing wrong

  with draping Veteran's Day or Memorial Day in red-white-and-blue bunting. Assuming the weather is clement, those are two of the days on which I proudly fly the flag. (The other two being Flag Day and Independence Day.)

  I bought my (Republican) stepfather a George W. Bush card for Father's Day, something I'd never seen before, but which I found to be a wonderful joke. (Especially after I put horns and fangs on Dumb-ya's picture.)

  I was horrified, a couple of years ago, to turn over a Christmas card from a relative of mine and discover that it was a product of the NRA. The very idea of associating the birth of the Prince of Peace with weapons of war is disgusting to me. Nor do I suspect that it is a holiday that would "patriotize" very well. Commercialize, yes, as Charles Schulz observed nearly 40 years ago (see A Charlie Brown Christmas, © 1965).

  by musing85 on Sun Aug 15, 2004 at 12:11:14 AM PDT

•  Funny you should mention it

  I was just observing a couple of nights ago the ladies at the local upscale grocery emporium's bakery counter putting up the red, white & blue for- LABOR DAY ???  I mean you would have sworn 4th of July was just around the corner instead of the end of summer.

  We are confusing the hell out of the Chinese, I guess. They are, after all, the primary purveyors of our holiday decorations...

  by murphy on Sun Aug 15, 2004 at 01:01:42 AM PDT