WALKING the city of Melbourne, or any Australian shopping mall, is an eye opener.
Mostly gone are the cribs, Mary and Joseph. Wise Men and animals. Replacing them we have the traditional reindeer, cute bears and hooked candies. holly, thistle and trees (without stars) are permitted.
But a real sense that the Biblical Christmas is at an end pervades. Is it a Christmas with Christ?
There are still a few ‘religious’ Christmas cards, in a special Religious section. But for the rest a mix of fun, snow scenes and even the vulgar.
Anecdotally, children are being encouraged to send greetings: “Have a happy holiday” not “Happy Christmas”. This may reflect, what was popular in academic circles, some years ago, when we referred to the “post-Christian” era.
I know, from experience, that this has been true in Europe since after the War. It is now almost complete in some countries. The sad question, for those who live in Australia, is whether we will follow that same path?