Michelle Herbison considers her relationship with Christmas and its place within Geelong’s diverse network of faiths.
Words: MICHELLE HERBISON
I don’t mean to spoil the party but Christmas has always been a matter of contention for me.
Of course, in childhood I was just as excited as the next kid about a visit from Santa and his reindeers.
The excitement of a special day with familiar songs, foods and family traditions was something to look forward to months in advance.
But having been raised in a household essentially devoid of religion, inside me nagged inklings we were hypocrites cashing in on Christianities’ holiest day.
I started to think that because I never went to church or celebrated Christianity any other time of the year maybe I didn’t deserve to jump on the bandwagon to indulgently celebrate Jesus’ birthday.
I don’t mean to put a dampener on the culture that gives our society identity but perhaps it’s time to further investigate these traditional festive cycles we all allow ourselves to be dragged through year after year.
Atheism is growing in the Geelong and coast region at an astonishing rate, with 2011 census figures showing a 43 per cent increase in Surf Coast residents ticking ‘No religion’.
Godlessness also rose at Geelong and Queenscliff by 26 and 25 per cent respectively.
As the atheist movement formalises around the world, a Geelong branch recently formed to deliberate on non-belief.
Uniting Care’s Rob O’Neil, who runs an annual Christmas hamper program for disadvantaged families, observes with relaxed amusement that Christianity seems to “creep back in” to many people’s lives around December 25, prompting them to say “God bless” when they wouldn’t otherwise.
For many Christians like my gran, Christmas is a time for selfless acts of charity – volunteering time, donating money and goods and reaching out to the needy.
Unfortunately, this aspect of the season was generally absent from my childhood in a family detached from church and community groups.
Rob says more than 400 generous Geelong people volunteer every year for the Uniting Church’s Christmas assistance hamper program.
“It’s amazing how many people just give and give,” he says reverentially.
Grab a copy of the summer edition of Geelong Coast Magazine for more.
