JamesBranam's Blog
Another Useless Holiday
WARNING: COMPLAINING AHEAD!
Here we go again. Central Europe has once again embraced a another minor holiday celebrated in English-speaking countries. Walking into my building this morning, I encountered a Czech receptionist wearing a huge witch's hat, just like something right out of the Wizard of Oz. If I had been walking into a building in the States, I might not have even noticed, but this is the Czech Republic. Illustrations in Czech literature have always depicted witches differently than in English Literature. No pointed witch's hat. No warts on the nose.
Having lived in this country for more than 12 years, I've watched with disdain how American holiday icons have been replacing traditional Czech icons, and in some cases, creating a whole new holiday. First it was watching the image of Santa Claus creep into all the stores; then St. Valentine's Day became all the rage. (If you don't buy your significant other a gift now, you'll be in the doghouse for forgetting a holiday that didn't even exist here 15 years ago.) Now it's Halloween. I remember teaching high school back in the 90s. Some Czech kids had never even heard of it. Now the same kids - adults now - argue over which Halloween party to attend.
And it's all because companies want to sell more candy.
Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against Halloween...or Christmas ... or any holiday for that matter. (Halloween at least actually has deep roots in Celtic/Anglo-Saxon culture.) I just don't get the commercialization of our customs and traditions. But even this bothers me less than watching customs and traditions of other countries succumb to the same commercialization and even watching these traditions disappear.
Oh well. Maybe it's just me.
--James
Posted at 10:50AM Oct 31, 2007 by branajam in Personal | Comments[3]
I couldn't agree more... the eclipsing of local traditions by external commercial interests is sad. At least here in Germany, the whole Halloween thing is somewhat subdued. Not much evidence of it anywhere... just the way I like it.
Posted by cdc on October 31, 2007 at 02:00 PM CET #
*looks out of window* Tombstones?! I'm in the Prague office too, and they just covered the lawn between the offices with _fake tombstones_... And orange pumpkin-shaped balloons...
Posted by Seapegasus on October 31, 2007 at 02:38 PM CET #
Oh dear. Sorry to hear that - though the last couple years, I did notice the displays at Tesco become larger with the pumpkins and related doohickeys.
Rachel and I were totally unprepared - apparently halloween has already taken hold here in the lowlands and we got kids at the door. At least we had a bowl of mandarins to offer. No candy at all, though.
(We live on the sort of street that's made for trick or treating though - everyone knows one another and it's very safe. But it's a co-opted US thing nonetheless.)
Posted by Joe on October 31, 2007 at 08:57 PM CET #