According to the Los Angeles Times, Hallmark initially responded to critics of this move by arguing that the words “gay apparel” were not necessarily authentic to begin with, but rather translations from a Gaelic original, so they could be replaced by other, synonymous words. Hegemonic masculinity is a whole subject in itself, entertainingly and learnedly discussed in Shaun Cole"s perfectly titled Don We Now Our Gay Apparel, which shows in fascinating detail how "clothing has been a primary method of identification for and of gay men. The greetings and gift giant apologized Thursday for one of its intended-to-be-jolly creations: An ornament shaped like an ugly Christmas sweater, adorned with the words, “Don we now our FUN apparel. We’ve been surprised at the wide range of reactions expressed about the change of lyrics on this ornament, and we’re sorry to have caused so much concern,” Hallmark said.

However, it is easy to forget that, with few exceptions, gay men earlier in the century took great pains to conceal their sexual identity. Do you take control of your class like an experienced educator or do you, in an attempt to curb the outbursts, change the lyrics of a 150 year old song and replace the word "gay" with "bright"? Most gay men resorted to a number of subtle dress codes to identify themselves to other gay men -- from Oscar Wildes famous green carnation, which was still being worn in the 1930s, through to suede shoes. Although some early sources state that Oliphant's words were a translation of Talhaiarn's Welsh original, [9] this is not the case in any strict or literal sense. In the original 1862 publication, Oliphant's English lyrics were published alongside Talhaiarn's Welsh lyrics.

Hallmark—“when you care enough to send the very best”—has caused a stir by taking the “gay” out of Christmas. Yule is used in modern times as another word for Christmas and the Christmas season, though the word has origins in an ancient Germanic midwinter festival. Machine wash: warm (max 40C or 105F); Non-chlorine: bleach as needed; Tumble dry: medium heat; Do not iron; Do not dryclean.

To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Originally, the lyrics were written in a poem by Thomas Oliphant in 1862, before being covered by over 75 individual artists. Deck The Halls” is a classic Christmas carol, commonly played in the month(s) leading up to Christmas.

Read all Simone and Sipowicz investigate the murder of a gay bar owner during the Christmas holidays. The joke that the company tried to explain away its attempt to take the “gay” out of Christmas by referring to a Gaelic original? Tony Woodcock From the New Edwardians and muscle boys to Radical Drag and Genderfuck, gay mens dress has had a profound impact on fashion. From the New Edwardians and muscle boys to Radical Drag and Genderfuck, Don We Now Our Gay Apparel has it all. The trend of wearing festively decorated Christmas sweaters to parties is all about fun, and this ornament is intended to play into that,” the statement said.