Inane Ramblings

21 December 2010

Musings on the Creche

We’ve all seen them. Somewhere in your hometown, there’s bound to be one or more. Some of them are nicely done…some are tacky…and some are an epic fail featuring a Santa nearby. (Pick only ONE theme, hmm?)

But what about the crèche? In recent years, the Right has made a career out of the “war on Christmas” and how it’s been secularized and destroyed by the liberal elites. At a 10,000-foot level, the Right seems to conveniently forget that it’s their friends in big business and Corporate America that have turned Christmas into the consumer spending orgy that it is, but I digress.

No, take a look at those crèches again. The debate has been whether or not they should be on public land, whether it’s the town green, the City Hall lawn, or elsewhere. Where is your crèche?

In the City of Waltham (MA) we have one on Waltham Common behind city hall. But the City just gave them the space and ran a power cord out of City Hall for the lighting. It’s noted on the sign that it’s proudly sponsored by one of the local Catholic churches. Several other churches in and around the city have a prominent crèche displayed on their front lawn.

In the neighboring town of Lexington, across from the battle green is a small church with a HUGE nativity on their front lawn facing the public park. And along Waltham street, there is a golf course that’s closed for the season, but has given prominent footage to yet another nativity in a nicely lit glass-enclosed shed.

The point of all this? Maybe there is none. Nativities are out there if you know where to look. Nobody is stopping anyone from putting one up on public or private property, or on the church’s own front lawn. But I suppose I would have to draw the line if the crèche was noted as “sponsored by the City of Waltham”.