African American Christmas
Decorations celebrate and
remember African American History
There are many people who have a very traditional idea about
Christmas, however few of these really realize that most of the
Christmas traditions that we have come not from Bethlehem, but from
Northern Europe. Everything from the snow in the manger scene to
the Christmas tree actually starts in European countries, and not
in the holy land. With this in mind, why should we not change
Christmas when it suits us to fit our cultures and our individual
styles.
This is why I have begun to collect African American Christmas
Decorations. There is definitely a unique African American style
which has penetrated the American mainstream as much as any other
style that there is, and it seems like a shame not to celebrate it.
African American Christmas Decoration not only celebrates authentic
African traditions, but also the styles and contributions of
generations of African Americans. Getting or making your own
African American Christmas Decoration is the best way to celebrate
your own heritage if you are an African American, or to celebrate
tolerance and cultural diversity in America if you are not. I am
not saying that you should go all out and discard all of those
blown glass Christmas ornaments that you have stocked up to put all
over your tree. But what I am saying is that same tree will
look all that much better with African American Christmas
Decoration strung up alongside the more traditional Christmas
decor.
Of course, what exactly constitutes African American decorations
really varies depending who you are asking about it. Some people
take African American Christmas Decoration to mean African
Christmas decoration, and like to adorn their trees with charms
shaped like giraffes, gazelle, and stylized masks. I do think that
this has a place in African American Christmas Decoration, but I do
not think that it is enough by itself. In reality, African American
Christmas Decoration has so much more to offer. When I think of
African American Christmas Decoration, I think of Christmas
ornaments that celebrate and remember African American history.
That means celebrating literature, music, education, farming, and
all of the other areas in which African Americans have made a
contribution to our culture, and doing it with a distinctly African
American style. Of course, that is just me. The beauty about
African American Christmas Decoration is that you can do it in
whatever way is the most meaningful to you.
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