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Australians love affair with Christmas

By Warwick Marsh - posted Friday, 23 December 2011


Australians love outsiders and outcasts. That's one of the many reasons they love the Christmas story. You see Joseph and Mary were rank outsiders. Mary was having a baby 'out of wedlock'. The angel story was always going to be hard to explain to the relatives. By Jewish law Joseph, who was engaged to Mary, should have divorced her on the spot and had Mary stoned, but he planned to divorce her quietly. Then an angel spoke to him as well and he had the courage to defend her in spite of the condemnation from his own family. Imagine walking for 110 kilometres with your wife who is 9 months pregnant, to visit your relatives who really don't want to be seen with you because of the scandal of the pending illegitimate birth.

Joseph was a man of courage and compassion, who acted according to his convictions. Yes, he was laughed at and Mary was too, but the rank outsiders became the ultimate heroes. This was even truer for Mary's boy child, Jesus. Ostracised and rejected by the media elite and political ruling class of his day, they nailed him to a cross, but they couldn't keep a good man down.

Aussies love stories like this. That is just one of the many reasons why Christmas is so popular in this country. The story of Mary and Joseph is a story of true love, committed marriage, strong faith and the importance of family. This story resonates deeply in the Australia psyche.

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Australia began as a convict nation, who now for the greater part, would join with Mick Dundee to say, "me and God are mates". Australians love those who are outsiders and outcasts. People who help others and get the job done without fuss or fanfare. People who as Henry Lawson wrote in his poem, 'Christ of the Never' are 'the mate of the dying'. Australians want to celebrate ordinary decency and morality and putting families first as Chalke said. Australians should be proud of their love affair with Christmas.

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About the Author

Warwick Marsh is the founder of the Dads4Kids Fatherhood Foundation with his wife Alison. They have five children and two grandchildren and have been married for 34 years.

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