"James Finn Garner - Politically Correct Holiday Stories" - читать интересную книгу автора (Garner James Finn)

Fluffy white snow. Cups of golden eggnog.
Visions of sugar plums.

At this festive time of year, it is good for each and
every one of us to consider carefully just how cruel
and exclusionary so many of our old seasonal "tradi-
tions" continue to be. To place so much emphasis on
snowfalls and a "White Christmas" surely is a slap in
the face for those persuns in developing tropical
nations, who never get to see snow firsthand. The
friendly offer of a cup of eggnog is nothing less than
a poke in the eye to the dedicated vegans among us.
And anyone recovering from an eating disorder can
certainly attest that visions of sugar plums dancing in
one's head are more like a nightmare than a sweet
dream.

Because of the callousness and insensitivity that
abound during the holiday season, I felt compelled
once again to perform a public service in the name
of right-thinking celebrants everywhere and revise
the favorite seasonal tales for our more sensitive era.

INTRODUCE ION

To avoid any suggestion that with this book I am
cashing in on the holiday's consumer feeding frenzy,
let me mention that I tried to persuade my publisher
to bring this volume out at a more sedate time
of year, such as February or March, when every-
one could discuss these emerging ideas calmly and
rationally. But the book was made ready for autumn
publication because we agreed that one more old-
fashioned holiday season is one too many.

To all those cynics who believe that a responsible
and progressive celebration must also be differently
enjoyable (i.e., no fun), I would ask them to consid-
er the evolution of current traditions. We are all
aware (or should be) that the early Christians chose
to celebrate the birth of their savior at the same time
as pagan winter festivals that welcomed the return of
the sun. They were thus able to celebrate "Christ's
mass" without alienating their neighbors and dou-
bled their chances of being invited to a tasty feast at
the same time. Such an early example of inclusion-
ary merrymaking should inspire us all. Today's neo-
pagans can feel especially proud of their heritage/
himitage.