Charleston, West Virginia, is planning a “winter parade” open to all religions for this year. The mayor said goodbye to the traditional Christmas festival. But then everything turned out differently.
The angel actually proclaimed peace on earth. But in the United States, Christmas causes little festive controversy every year. This time a battle took place in the so-called War for Christmas in Charleston, a city of 48,000 in the mining state of West Virginia. There, the first female head of the city turned the religious conservatives against her when she announced that she would rename the traditional Christmas parade.
Open also to non-Christians
Mayor Amy Goodwin invited to the “Winter Parade” this year. Otherwise everything stayed the same: the marching band and Santa Claus in the sleigh throwing sweets to children on the roadside. All of them are more secular than religious traditions. “I wanted to show that Charleston is a welcoming and inclusive city,” said Goodwin, explaining her invitation to all citizens of the city. Even to those who are not Christians.
In fact, it struck a chord with the conservative Christians in her city. They see a trend in the reallocation; similar to that of the coffee house giant Starbucks, which this year wishes “Merry Coffee” instead of a Merry Christmas on its mugs. Even public buildings are getting more and more neutral glitter lighting instead of Christian symbols. Traditionalists see this as an attack on Christmas itself.
Starbucks wishes “Merry Coffee”
The US Constitution even expressly stipulates a strict separation of state and religion. Goodwin is referring to the fact that the state should not sponsor a religious holiday. Private companies like Starbucks see it as a matter of sensitivity not to hand the large Jewish and Muslim minorities of the country a coffee mug with the words “Merry Christmas” printed on it.
The “war for Christmas” is being fought with great seriousness. Since Donald Trump has ruled the White House, the religious conservatives can count on the US president as a supporter. “We will say Merry Christmas again,” Trump announced in 2017.
In the Charleston case, the West Virginia attorney general got involved. Republican Patrick Morrisey was outraged that Mayor Goodwin was running “amok” with her plan to celebrate winter instead of Christmas.
Jews appreciated renaming
The proponents of the winter parade stood by the mayor’s side rather hesitantly. “This has caused us great distress,” said Vice President of the local Islamic Association, Sue Barazi. The Syrian, who has lived in Charleston for almost 45 years and who has always attended the parade with her children, welcomed the name change. He is a sign that makes the city more open and tolerant. Rabbi Viktor Urecki also sees it that way. The city’s 250 or so Jewish families would appreciate the renaming.
The public pressure on the mayor rose noticeably when the US president’s house broadcaster Fox News finally broke in on the controversy and stylized the Charleston Winter Parade as the latest front in the “war on Christmas”.
In order to save the holiday peace, Goodwin gave in “in consultation with the religious communities”. She said that she found the winter-Christmas debate hurtful and disappointing. But she learned a lot from the public discussion. They “respect tradition”, but maintain that “everyone must be included”.
Since she withdrew, she has now received praise – also from her critics, who congratulated her on having turned the winter into a Christmas parade again. Even if with a completely secular Santa Claus and a marching band.
– .
