Susan Lucci, photo: Norma Wooding, assistnews.net

Some Hollywood celebrities say ‘Horray For Christmas’

By Dan Wooding

Founder of ASSIST Ministries

It certainly was a long way from the humble stable where Jesus was born in Bethlehem all those years ago, to the glamour and glitter of Sunday’s Hollywood Christmas Parade 2009 that drew tens of thousands, many sporting Santa hats, to watch the event.

The Tinseltown parade was quite a spectacle as the fans cheer cheered about 80 waving celebrities many of whom rode in convertibles, 14 flag waving marching bands, some of whom played “Joy to the World” and “Jingle Bells”, eight equestrian units and eight giant balloons.

The Grand Marshal was Susan Lucci, Emmy Award winning actress, star of “All My Children” and America's Reigning Queen of Daytime Television. Parade Broadcast Hosts were Erik Estrada of “World's Funniest Moments”, and “CHiPs”, and Laura McKenzie (Emmy Award Nominee; “Laura McKenzie's Traveler”.

Among the celebrities taking part were Lorenzo Lamas (“Renegade,” “Leave it to Lamas”), Oscar winner Louis Gossett Jr.; Grammy-nominated singer Brian McKnight; comedian Shawn Wayans; former “American Idol” contestant Ace Young; talk show host Montel Williams, and Lee Majors “The Six Million Dollar Man”.

Having recently been in Bethlehem where I visited the Church of the Nativity, the traditional birthplace of Jesus, I was intrigued to discover what the celebrities and VIPs thought about the swirling controversy about whether this time of the year should be called “Christmas” or “The Holidays”.

So, accompanied by my wife Norma, making her debut as my Red Carpet photographer, I posed this question to several of them making their way along the carpet to the cacophony of shouting photographers and journalists, and got quite a variety of answers.

Erik Estrada and Laura McKenzie, photo: Norma Wooding, assistnews.net

I talked first with Erik Estrada and he said, “I think it should be called whatever your heart makes you want to call it, but for me, I'll always call it Christmas”.

When asked what his favorite Christmas was, he replied, “That's a kind of tough questions to answer. It’s like being asked what is the best meal you have ever had? Every year Christmas for me is a bang-out time because I really like and enjoy it. I can't remember one Christmas that I didn't enjoy. I always have a good time. I love Christmas. So I don't have a favorite. Each one is my favorite”.

Kate Flannery, photo: Norma Wooding, assistnews.net

I then asked the same question to Kate Flannery who plays “Meredith” on NBC's “The Office” and she smiled and then replied, “Can't we all get along? Why can't we call it everything that it is? It’s Hanukkah; it’s Christmas; it’s Kwanza, it’s Solstice. However, I don't want to take away from all the cultures by just vaguely saying ‘The Holidays’. I think I think that's a disservice.

“We should acknowledge each one. I don't think it leaves anybody out. It’s specific and that way it’s more respectful”.

Brian McKnight, photo: Norma Wooding, assistnews.net

Next in line was Brian McKnight, a singer, songwriter, arranger, producer, and pop and R&B musician. He is also a multi-instrumentalist who can play nine instruments: piano, guitar, bass guitar, drums, percussions, trombone, tuba, French horn and trumpet.

McKnight, who is a Seventh Day Adventist, was more direct with his view about Christmas. “I think it really depends on your own personal take on it”, he said. “For me, it’s always going to be Christmas because you can't take the Christ out of Christmas. I know that everyone doesn't look at it that way, so I think a little bit of both probably”.

I then asked him if he it found it strange that we call it “Christmas” yet many people don’t seem to understand the relevance of it.

“Again it is personal choice”, said McKnight. “I can't try to make other people believe the way that I do. If you have your belief then maybe the way we go is to meet somewhere in the middle. I think we all realize this is a very special time of the year -- whether it’s religious or not – and as long as we have our hearts in the right place, I think it is OK”.

I asked him if he would be spending Christmas Day at his Los Angeles home and he replied, “I'll be here at home, but I have a gig on the twenty-sixth, so I have to fly out the night of the twenty-fifth to get to a gig in the Caribbean on the twenty-sixth. It’s alright though”.

I then spoke with Bernard C. Parks, a member of the Los Angeles City Council, representing the 8th District in South Los Angeles and the former chief of the Los Angeles Police Department.

He said, “I think we can use both. The issue is that it’s a very hard tradition to overturn. The issue is that there are many communities that will never stop using ‘Christmas’ so we support that. But there are also people who are viewing this in a more inclusive way and they are saying ‘The Holidays’. So we use both and we try to be consistent with the communities that we serve”.

When asked about the views of the LA City Council, he said, “It can choose either and fortunately we have not had the protests that people have had about ‘Christmas trees’ because they’ll get enormous trees in front of City Hall and we have one that we’ll be lighting tomorrow. So I think the issue is that to give everybody a chance. The greatest thing about democracy is freedom of speech”.

Next in line was Lashinda Demus, an American hurdler who specializes in the 400 meter hurdles and I asked her what Christmas meant to her.

Her view about the controversy was right to the point. “I prefer calling it Christmas, because that’s what it was originally called. I mean if you want to call it something else then you can, but I'm with the originality of it and that’s Christmas. So I'm cool with that”.

When asked what Christmas meant to her, she replied as she held her two twin boys, “Oh, it is family time. It’s a time to calm down relax enjoy and be thankful for what family you do have. And it’s also giving spirit. I love Christmas. It is one of my favorite times of the year”.

Would she be training at this time of the year?

“I'm training already,” she said. “I'm actually in my fourth week of training so I'm excited about the up coming year”.

Santa has the last word, photo: Norma Wooding, assistnews.net

I decided to leave the last word to Hollywood’s official Santa Claus (actually Tim Connaghan, who for 40 years has been “Santa” at the Hollywood Christmas Parade.)

“Well to me it's always been ‘Merry Christmas’”, he said. “This is the Hollywood Christmas Parade and we've kept that tradition for many, many years. For many people, of course, we have Hanukkah and Kwanza and many other holidays going on so it is a ‘holiday season’ for a lot of people, but for a majority of the world it is ‘Christmas’ -- so 'Merry Christmas' has to be in there too”.

A tradition in Hollywood since 1928, the seasonal celebration has seen legendary grand marshals including Bob Hope, Sammy Davis Jr., Arnold Schwarzenegger and Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. And I have to point out that never once have they taken “Christmas” out of the celebration.

For that I can, at least say, “Horray for Hollywood”.

Note: The parade will air nationally via MyNetworkTV from 8 to 10 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 10. It will be shown again to viewers across the country from 8 to 10 p.m. on Christmas Eve.

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TAGS: USA Hollywood Christmas Parade Tinseltown parade Susan Lucci Lorenzo Lamas Louis Gossett Jr. Brian McKnight Shawn Wayans Lashinda Demus

[12/02/2009]

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