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Political correctness usually engenders jokes (no pun intended); it's hilarious to apply gender concepts to decorations and Christmas trees. But it's not always so funny, at least when instead of a Christmas tree there is a generic "holiday tree" meant to preserve neutrality towards all religions - or a "winter tree", as in our Communist past, with red stars instead of glass angels. It's enough anyway that globalization hurts now the aesthetics of the festive tree: we have, for example, little Santas with oblique eyes and little plastic birds with fur tails, all made in China.
But add religious fervor to political correctness and you'll have the kitschiest of the kitschy, offered by a store specialized in Christian merchandise. An ornament featuring an unborn baby with a gun - a symbol of the pro-life and patriotic duty to give birth to the future soliders of the country, the ones that will defend democracy and fight terrorism wherever the state sends them.
Well, if we talk about military-themed Christmas trinkets, there can be things that simply use the theme for creative reasons, without wanting to support any cause - like the ornaments below. The designer chose to pack them in wooden military boxes, adding fun to the offer.
And I would add even a peace dove on the top of the tree.
Vseh s Rozhdestvom!
Comments
No balls on the tree... hehe...
The Soviet version was called "новогодняя елка", and its story is rather interesting - "рождественская елка" was banned then resurrected as "новогодняя" because children "had a right to have fun on this holiday". The Soviet elka always had a red star on its top - and nobody (except religious and learned people perhaps) associated this star with the Bethlehem one. Check out some nostalgic communities with high-tech ornaments of the 1960s - cosmonauts and spaceships.
The curious thing is that in Russia in 18-19 centuries an evergreen tree was put on the roof of a building to show that it served as a public tavern (государево кружало, кабак), so "попасть под елку" meant "to have a drinking binge".
That's right, I saw such decorations, red stars and greeting cards with happy cosmonauts. There are people that sell them now even on eBay and various online stores, as vintage Christmas collectibles (it's true, there aren't only Communist-themed ornaments, but Snegurochki and Ded Morozy also).
We didn't have such clear symbols of the regime, but our Father Christmas, "Mos Craciun", was replaced by "Mos Gerila" (Father Frosty), and the Christmas tree became "the winter tree", accordingly, with the same emphasis on children - a holiday mainly meant for the fun of children.
As for cosmonauts... well, do you know that the Washington Cathedral (built in the 1980s, I think)has a window with the images of astronauts in space? Is this a reminder of the common argument "people have been to heaven and haven't seen God there"? By the way, this Cathedral is meant as non-denominational... very ecumenist...
I didn't know about such images... and neither about Darth Vader functioning there as a gargoyle :))
But when it comes to weird churches, my favorite is this:
http://www.coltranechurch.org/
And the ideal location would be next to the old Afftar's house in Piter, the one with the walls and filled with graffiti.
Talking about a little-known composer, Afftar said "God bless him! We don't know what color his socks were, but we do know his sublime music"
as for Malaya Konyushennaya street... it's prime real estate nowadays... not a place for churches... though there is is an old Swedish kirche next door, which was used as a sport venue in Soviet times... and perhaps still is...
The street is embellished with a lot of monuments: to Nikolay Gogol, to an Old Russia policeman (городовой), and there is also a strange contraption giving a sort of weather report... I don't quite remember... will ask St-Pete friends...
http://geoimages.berkeley.edu/worldwide
(the picture requires QuickTime to load)