I missed blogging yesterday because I got back later than expected — after midnight — from the 2005 Merry Run, a motorcycle parade through Tokyo with about 20 riders decked out in Christmas costumes. It was loads of fun, with people on the sidewalk waving at us and snapping pictures on their cell phones.
Also, I finally met Riding Sun commenter Big Ben there; he and I were the only gaijin in the parade. In the photo below, Ben is the reindeer on the right, and I'm the helmet-wearing Santa:
I think this Christmas tree costume was the best:
After covering our bikes with tinsel and lights, we hit the road:
Afterwards, it occured to me that the Merry Run offers some insight into the current debate about whether to wish people "Happy Holidays" or "Merry Christmas". We cheerfully shouted "Merry Christmas" to onlookers, and our costumes (except for one guy who went as Frosty the Snowman) were Christmas-specific. Yet there were no Christians in our parade, and virtually none of the people watching it were Christian, either. Despite our Christmas talk and Christmas costumes, the religious significance of the Merry Run was zero.
Simlarly, all the outward trappings of Christmas that one might encounter in a Wal-Mart or Target do absolutely nothing to express the genuine sentiments of the people who own, manage, or work at those stores. Yet Christian leaders like Jerry Falwell and groups like The American Family Association are threatening to boycott and even sue retailers that favor "Happy Holidays" over "Merry Christmas". Why should a superficial outward display matter to people supposedly motivated by a deep and abiding love of Christ? Why do such people need corporations to share their religious beliefs, anyway?
If you meet someone who you know is Christian, by all means go ahead and wish them a merry Christmas. And if you're selling Christmas tree stands, there's no need to call them "holiday tree stands" (as home improvement chain Lowes apparently did). It's senseless and even a touch Orwellian to censor yourself out of a fear that the PC police are watching. But it's also senseless to demand that huge corporations extend a specific and personal religious greeting to all their millions of customers.
Also, I finally met Riding Sun commenter Big Ben there; he and I were the only gaijin in the parade. In the photo below, Ben is the reindeer on the right, and I'm the helmet-wearing Santa:
I think this Christmas tree costume was the best:
After covering our bikes with tinsel and lights, we hit the road:
Afterwards, it occured to me that the Merry Run offers some insight into the current debate about whether to wish people "Happy Holidays" or "Merry Christmas". We cheerfully shouted "Merry Christmas" to onlookers, and our costumes (except for one guy who went as Frosty the Snowman) were Christmas-specific. Yet there were no Christians in our parade, and virtually none of the people watching it were Christian, either. Despite our Christmas talk and Christmas costumes, the religious significance of the Merry Run was zero.
Simlarly, all the outward trappings of Christmas that one might encounter in a Wal-Mart or Target do absolutely nothing to express the genuine sentiments of the people who own, manage, or work at those stores. Yet Christian leaders like Jerry Falwell and groups like The American Family Association are threatening to boycott and even sue retailers that favor "Happy Holidays" over "Merry Christmas". Why should a superficial outward display matter to people supposedly motivated by a deep and abiding love of Christ? Why do such people need corporations to share their religious beliefs, anyway?
If you meet someone who you know is Christian, by all means go ahead and wish them a merry Christmas. And if you're selling Christmas tree stands, there's no need to call them "holiday tree stands" (as home improvement chain Lowes apparently did). It's senseless and even a touch Orwellian to censor yourself out of a fear that the PC police are watching. But it's also senseless to demand that huge corporations extend a specific and personal religious greeting to all their millions of customers.
Or at least, "meriikurisumasu", eh? (メリークリスマス)
It was cool to finally meet you after all this time, and the ride was a blast. I've put my pics up on my site too.
Have a good trip, and see if you can pick up a big neon menorah for next year's ride.
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