COLUMN: Christmas pageantry, American tradition and a dose of common sense

"That touch of red on the clown’s nose makes it look just right, doesn’t it, dear?”

With those words, my theatrical career was launched in the third-grade Christmas play at North Garnerville Elementary School near where I grew up in Stony Point, N.Y.

I bring that up not because my theatrical career has been particularly distinguished, but because my participation in the play was a highlight of my childhood and made such an impact on me that I remember to this day that first line, spoken when the curtain opened as I dabbed a paintbrush on the nose of my best friend, David Cloer.

David played a toy clown, and I was the Toymaker. My recollection is that Barbara Matone played the Toymaker’s Wife, and Patty Shearer played the ballerina doll who fell in love with the clown, and thus we had the makings of a fine Christmas pageant.

I am reminded of all this because my own son, Carmen, himself now in third grade, recently appeared in Russell School’s Christmas program called “A Martian Christmas.” Carmen played one of the Martians, and he even got to eat a Christmas tree at one point, while his 5-year-old sister, Meredith, and I watched him with pride.

The show, adapted by music teacher Francie Lipp, gave a chance for dozens of second- and third-graders to shine on stage and to entertain their families and friends and create happy memories for one and all.

Except one and all were not happy.

Indeed, a few letter writers, who read about the play in the Inter Lake, sent their complaints to this editor, and no doubt to the school as well. It seems these gentle folk were unhappy that the Christmas pageant did not have any Christ in it, and they wondered whether this was more evidence of the “secularization” of America.

Well, I can answer them on both accounts.

Yes, this is evidence of the “secularization” of America, but that did not just start this month. We were founded as a secular nation — founded by Christians, but not to be a Christian nation. We want to be inclusive, not exclusive, and that is why our Constitution is written the way it is.

Back in North Garnerville Elementary School I was surrounded by many students who were Jewish as well as those who came from a variety of Christian backgrounds, including Catholic and Jehovah’s Witnesses, and while we had Christmas trees and carols in school, I don’t remember any preaching or proselytizing.

And the play we did that year, back in 1964, was not about Christ, or even about Santa; it was about a merry toymaker with a white beard who brought happiness to little boys and girls everywhere.

That, it seems to me, is the way it should be. Although we should never be afraid to teach schoolchildren about the role of religion in life and history, we should also not expect the schools to take the place of churches. It would be inappropriate to have a play for all the second- and third-graders if they were going to have to speak words of faith that they or their families might not believe in.

It would not be fair, and fairness is what America is all about.

On the other hand, I would also point out that the letter writers were not entirely right about the message of “A Martian Christmas,” because when you take the words Jesus Christ out of a play, you do not necessarily take out his spirit.

Indeed, the words of one song from the play seem to be a quite succinct capsulization of the teachings of our savior: “It’s good to be good/It’s good to be kind/It’s good to be loving/With peace on your mind.”

And when the Martians asked for “a reason to celebrate the season,” the Earthlings responded: “How about love?”

It’s a message that ought to be encouraged by Christians, who are asked to follow the example of the one who taught us to “love one another.”

And lest we forget, perhaps the best known Christmas story of all time, other than the Nativity, is one called “A Christmas Carol,” by Charles Dickens. It should be noted that the name of Jesus Christ appears nowhere in that text either, yet his spirit is found throughout.

God works in mysterious ways, and we should not necessarily expect the public schools to be his instrument of salvation. From my reading of the Bible, I surmise he has already chosen the cross for that purpose.    

Frank Miele is managing editor of the Daily Inter Lake. If you don’t like his opinion, stop by the office and he will gladly refund your two cents. E-mail responses may be sent to edit@dailyinterlake.com