Excerpt: BOFAW, Chap. 19, Carnival.
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carnival, n: an organized program of entertainment.
Merriam-Webster Dictionary
Although, for some people, Christmas is a Holy event, for most it includes some aspect of the spirit of “carnival.â€
I have a friend who is an avowed atheist. He regards believers as religious nutcases, but that does not interfere with our friendship. Recently we were spiritually sparring and he laughed and said, “Our problem as atheists is that we have no ‘architecture’ that is inspiring.†We both enjoyed a hearty laugh. [“Theology should be fun!†(Robert Capon)] I didn’t think to ask him if atheists also lacked music that inspired them. While I find the tinny Christmas tunes, blaring out at malls and stores often before Thanksgiving, irritating, there is a plethora of beautiful music available. Handel’s “Messiah†might be on one end of the spectrum and “Please Daddy Don’t Get Drunk This Christmas†on the other. The last count I saw showed that over 1400 different Christmas albums, ranging from sacred to secular to silly, are available from a wide range of groups and soloists. Although I suspect that most modern naturalists find shopping malls abhorrent, most would not be above appreciating the “carnival†event staged by the American Festival Chorus.
Thanks to Kristal Leonard Photography for the beautiful photo.
