It was Pat Buchanan who coined the term “culture wars”. But what many culture warriors fail to realize is that to win the culture war you actually need a culture, not just yard signs and slogans. And if you want a culture you must have holidays. Holidays are not just fun vacations from work. They are instruments of war, fighting for value systems and cultural morality.
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All of us live in rhythms of work and rest. There is the week and there’s the weekend. Of necessity, most of our time is spent working (because that mortgage won’t pay itself). But precisely for that reason, what we do with the times of rest we carve out for ourselves becomes very important. When we have a moment to pause and inhale, what do we do? If you want to know where a man’s heart truly lies, ask him what he does on Saturday and Sunday.
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Holidays are a moment of rest for an entire community. When society pauses and inhales, what does it do? What does it value? What does it celebrate and uplift as praise worthy and glorious?
This is why holidays matter. Holidays display what a society thinks is worth pausing to remember and glory in. If you want to know where a society’s heart lies, ask what their holidays are.
This has always been understood. During the Reformation, much of the struggle for the soul of Europe was waged by “holiday wars”. Do we maintain the medieval system of saint days (Roman Catholicism); or trim it back to the five evangelical feast days (classical Protestantism); or do away with all holidays except the Lord’s Day (Puritanism)? My point now is not which view was correct. Rather, I want to point out what they all agreed on. Holidays shape our collective imagination and affections. Whoever controls the holidays (eventually) controls the culture.
The Woke Left knows this very well. They have crafted a very elaborate liturgical calendar with Pride Month, Juneteenth, Pacific Islander Month, Indigenous Peoples Day, and so on. They understand that holidays are banners and battering rams.
Holidays are banners because they lift up some ideal as worthy of celebration. They remember an event or people; they honor a concept or ideal. Holidays hoist these things high for everyone to see, calling upon everyone to salute.
Holidays are battering rams because given enough time they can shape the affections of a society. If you shout, “This is important!”, long enough people start to believe it. Holidays (if done well) cast certain ideas in the best possible light. They drape philosophies in festive colors, feasts, candy, and music. If these holidays are done well enough for long enough, they begin to bring an entire society into its orbit.
So why does this matter? If you want to win the culture war, you have to do the holidays well. One of the best tools available to you and your household, is a robust culture of holiday celebrations.
If you are a patriotic American who believes in the values of our founding, then enthusiastically celebrate the civic holidays. Make a big deal out of Independence Day, Veteran’s Day, Columbus Day, and Thanksgiving.
If you are a Christian who wants to preserve Christian values in society, one of the best weapons available to you and your family is the holiday season. Go all in on Easter and Christmas. Make them fun, festive, and glorious! Raise the banner of Jesus’ birth, death, and resurrection. Swing the battering ram of the festive gospel into the pathetic gates of secularism. And be sure to have a great time while doing so!
Holidays, by their very nature, are instruments of warfare. Both sides will use these weapons. Make sure you use them better.
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