Straight White American Jesus SWAJ Rewind: "Who Owns Christmas?"
Dec 24, 2025
The podcast dives into the provocative question of who truly owns Christmas. It explores how American Christians transformed the holiday into a mainstream cultural phenomenon. The discussion touches on Derrida's postal principle, revealing how meaning can shift in public discourse. The host argues that by making Christmas part of Americana, exclusive Christian control has diminished. Ultimately, it concludes that Christmas is a shared cultural celebration, inviting diverse interpretations beyond religious boundaries.
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Postal Principle Applies To Culture
- Miscommunication is built into any act of sending a message or cultural item into the world.
- Once culture is released it can be misread, repurposed, or taken out of the originator's control.
Everyday Delivery Failures
- Dan Miller recounts packages and messages getting lost or delayed to illustrate loss of control.
- He uses real examples like lost UPS items and delayed text dumps to make the point concrete.
Creators Lose Control After Release
- Cultural products (songs, films, traditions) take on lives beyond their creators' intentions.
- Creators forfeit control the moment they release a work or practice into public culture.