Christmas and Easter in the public space. The example of shop windows in Świętojańska Street in Gdynia

The aim of the article was to find an answer to the question about the presence of the religious aspect of Christmas and Easter in the public space. The field studies carried out in December 2015 and March 2016 showed a small share of Christmas and Easter decorations in the main shopping and service street, which is Świętojańska Street in Gdynia. In the case of Christmas, only 41% of shop windows had any Christmas-themed decorations, and before Easter, the percentage was only 13%. In December, commercial and service outlets were most often decorated with light strings and Christmas trees, and in March with eggs of various sizes, colours, and patterns. In a group of over 250 open outlets in Świętojańska Street, ornaments directly related to the sacred sphere (a manger, angel, Easter Lamb, cross, the words “Hallelujah” or “Christmas”) were present in only a few of them. Therefore, the traditional Christmas and Easter holidays in Poland are moderately emphasized and present in the public space of the main street. The statements are justified that in the pre-Christmas period in Świętojańska Street, firstly, there is no seasonal sacralization of the street space, and secondly, that traditional Christmas decorations are moderately exposed and some of them evoke mixed feelings among the authors of the study as to their aesthetic role. Keywords: Gdynia, Świętojańska Street, seasonal sacralization, Christmas, Easter holidays

The aim of the article was to find an answer to the question about the presence of the religious aspect of Christmas and Easter in the public space. The field studies carried out in December 2015 and March 2016 showed a small share of Christmas and Easter decorations in the main shopping and service street, which is Świętojańska Street in Gdynia. In the case of Christmas, only 41% of shop windows had any Christmas-themed decorations, and before Easter, the percentage was only 13%. In December, commercial and service outlets were most often decorated with light strings and Christmas trees, and in March with eggs of various sizes, colours, and patterns. In a group of over 250 open outlets in Świętojańska Street, ornaments directly related to the sacred sphere (a manger, angel, Easter Lamb, cross, the words “Hallelujah” or “Christmas”) were present in only a few of them. Therefore, the traditional Christmas and Easter holidays in Poland are moderately emphasized and present in the public space of the main street. The statements are justified that in the pre-Christmas period in Świętojańska Street, firstly, there is no seasonal sacralization of the street space, and secondly, that traditional Christmas decorations are moderately exposed and some of them evoke mixed feelings among the authors of the study as to their aesthetic role. Keywords: Gdynia, Świętojańska Street, seasonal sacralization, Christmas, Easter holidays