Opinion: Santa Claus a symbol of Western cultural imperialism?

Despite outwardly being a harmless, jolly, overweight bearded man dressed in red what he was really carrying was not a sack, but ideas and traditions with the potential to corrupt our native identity -- this was the view I absorbed from my family and Bangladeshi community living in Australia three decades ago.

I grew up not celebrating Christmas. My first memory of the holiday is a friend arriving at my door early Christmas morning to show off his new bike, a present he received on the day. There was a palpable excitement that many of my childhood friends had in the days leading up that I never shared.

Although they were not very religious, my parents had little interest in celebrating the day. This was despite the onslaught that Christmas is for non Christians when living in the West. Eid could never compete given it was only celebrated within our community and not magnified by the mass media.

Overwhelming lights, repeated images of Santa Claus and a constant stream of advertisement encouraging consumption. It was a massive temptation. 

The religious dimension was stronger in decades past, reflecting the steady decline of religious belief in secular Western societies. Church services this Christmas are more likely to be attended by immigrant groups such as Koreans, Africans or Pacific Islanders, many of whom have taken over churches once populated by white Australians.

Marrying a secular Christian of an English background helped me appreciate Christmas in a much richer way. Every culture has a similar ritual of renewal and reflection. In Islam it is Eid, especially Eid-ul-Fitr. For the Chinese, their New Year celebrations honour ancestors, the household and consolidates it all with a large feast. Diwali, the festival of lights, also coincides with the harvest, new beginnings which are then given metaphysical significance as a victory of the forces of good over evil -- namely the dark.

They all originate from our social origins in agricultural communities when more complicated forms of symbols and meaning arose, a major part of which are traditional religions.

In the last twenty years, especially with a greater focus on Muslim communities amid the fear of terrorism, Christmas has taken on an extra significance for non Christians. The undercurrent is whether non white immigrants are adequately integrating into Western societies or are they merely living just as they might in their ancestral lands, only more prosperously!

This has meant those who may have looked askance at Bangladeshi Muslims celebrating Christmas tend to keep more quiet, although they may certainly criticise behind closed doors. But thankfully this view is now fringe and sidelined.

But the corollary is true also, where the environment has made it easier for those who may be more liberally minded to comfortably celebrate Christmas. The vast majority of Muslims living in Western countries are enthusiastic about wishing their Christian neighbours a Merry Christmas. Many will note Jesus Christ is an especially notable prophet in Islam too. In Bangladesh the day is given the status of Boro Din, underlining its significance.

Some Australians have become so worried about offending non Christians that they are careful not to reference the holiday with too strong a reference to religion. This has become the case in the past decade where authorities, often municipal governments holding cultural functions, minimise references to Christmas to avoid offending non Christians. An example is the Diversity Council of Australia suggesting to companies to avoid calling their end of year gatherings "Christmas parties" and instead naming them "holiday season drinks" so as to be more inclusive to those of other faiths.

These kinds of pronouncements are usually met with derision by mainstream Australians, including most non Christians.

But Christmas remains hugely influential for non Christians whether they like it or not. The sheer novelty and theatric quality of Santa is utter genius and intoxicating for children. While it would not be approved of by some, both Jews and Muslims have tried to incorporate more colour and theatrics into Eid or Hannukah celebrations in recognition of the unavoidable competition they face with Christmas. This is especially true for Jews whose Hannukah celebrations coincide with the timing of Christmas.

Diane Ashton, an American religious historian, described how Jews have transformed Hanukkah in the past two centuries to reflect the evolving traditions of Christmas.

Inspired by children's Christmas events in churches, American rabbis started rituals at synagogues for children, such as lighting candles and handing out sweets.

Gift-giving was not previously a feature of Hanukkah historically, but new Jewish immigrants from Europe bought presents for their children as a way of signifying their economic success in the new world.

Likewise many Muslims and Hindus also feel obliged to engage in incorporating Christmas trees and presents wrapping as a bargain with their children. My family was the same because my younger sister was adamant we celebrate with greater enthusiasm. Suddenly there was a small tree with a modest set of decorations like tinsel.

Christmas remains a conflicted challenge for many Bangladeshis living in the West. It is possibly the most visible representation of how an adopted country's traditions and culture can overwhelm one's own. The simple traditions of where to put up a tree and buy presents overlie the big questions of what to embrace of a new country and what to keep of one's past.

Decades later and my family is thoroughly integrated into the rituals and practices of Christmas. I have a large tree in my house. My mother cooks pulao for Christmas lunch. I will watch my own children waking up early on the Boro Din, in a frenzied excitement, opening up their presents with glee. I am also more relaxed about Santa Claus.

Disclaimer: This is an opinion piece and the views are the writer's own.