Cultural vs. Political Holidays
Last newsletter we discussed holidays as a monolith and how they relate to communism and socialism. Going over the significance of recognizing the social or cultural impacts the holidays have and the importance of working with, not against, these holidays to achieve a better future. Now, however, we're going to discuss the nuance between cultural holidays, such as Thanksgiving and Dia de los Muertos, and political holidays such as the Fourth of July or May Day.
On the surface, both holidays do serve a similar social purpose; May Day bringing workers together to celebrate workers rights and Thanksgiving bringing friends and families together to enjoy a hearty meal. Bringing people together through common practices and celebrations or remembrance for a purpose is after all the basis for holidays to begin with. Joyous or somber, they create a communal experience for those who partake and minimize isolation between individuals in a given society. Under the surface though is a different story.
Let's examine the differences from an American perspective. A Christmas celebration, for example, can be one that ends up co-opted by a political ideology or religious figure. Think how capitalist consumerism is the worst around Christmas, or how neo-conservatives and far right trolls online created the "War on Christmas" narrative in a poor attempt to drive people away from leftism as a whole. We can also look to how socialist organizations will organize holiday parties at homeless shelters or soup kitchens on Christmas for the ones who don't have families to celebrate with, or how around Christmastime charitable donations increase compared to the rest of the year. This all shows that while Christmas is rooted in a religious belief, and has been extensively changed by cultural shifts and movements over the years, it still holds a neutral perspective when it comes to political issues. Christmas has the capability to be a holiday used by any party, for any means, and still through that maintains its significance as a holiday. On the other side is a holiday like the Fourth of July. A holiday created to celebrate the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776 in Philadelphia. People all across the US get together for fireworks and barbecues with their friends and families. More nefariously though, this holiday is used as a beacon for patriotism towards the US and its government. Unlike Christmas, the Fourth of July cannot be separated from its purpose to instill national pride and exclude those who disagree. Red, white, and blue banners and flags and buntings appear everywhere. Slogans for national pride are plastered on every street corner. Vain attempts to liken our current hyper-capitalist government to the government of old in 1776 run as advertisements on TV and online. Communist parties host anti-Fourth-of-July get-togethers across the country.
What's the difference then? Non-Christians are often subjected to the same over the top holiday expressions when Christmas comes around, and communists still co-opt the Fourth of July as a platform. The difference is in the goals of the holidays. Christmas is, at its base, a religious holiday followed by a cultural one. Non-Christians can still enjoy the lights, still donate to charitable organizations, still go back home with their families, and can still make the holiday one which they enjoy and support. The Fourth of July is entirely inseparable from its exclusive use for instilling national pride and patriotism. One is incapable of engaging with the holiday solely from a cultural perspective. One can't enjoy the fireworks without understanding what they represent. A neighborhood barbecue is 9 out of 10 times invaded with American flag branded hot dogs, or red, white, and blue popsicles. Victims of the state's violence are each year forced to endure excessive patriotic fervor by everyone around them. The holiday is frequently used as a political speaking point that the US has "triumphed" over its political enemies, including domestic ones. During the Civil Rights era, it was frequently used to label those who didn't support the US's efforts in waging foreign wars and those who didn't support segregation and racially motivated laws as unamerican. A holiday standing exclusively for one political means, founded for that means, and used for that means.
A socialist or communist revolution in a country like the United States could still have Christmas. Society at large could still celebrate with Christmas lights, holiday dinners, local tree lighting ceremonies, and so on. It could not have the Fourth of July. The holidays meaning, and basis, would fundamentally need to be changed. Whether from a day of celebrating the grandeur of the US project to just your average Tuesday or to a day remembering all the victims of the US's reign, neither option is in line with the current existence of the holiday. A holiday to serve political means is a holiday that must be abandoned or changed when those political means no longer apply. As socialists and communists, it's crucial we understand the basis for holidays, as in, the means with which they serve. Whether cultural or political. Through that understanding, we can tackle the struggles fighting for the future we seek to build with one more tool at our disposal. We can combat claims of a "War on Christmas" while waging a true war against the Fourth of July, and so on.
In Solidarity,
FurInform
