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THE UNIQUE ASPECTS OF CHRISTMAS MESSAGES AS A COMPONENT OF POLITICAL DISCOURSE
Marina Yu. Shingareva,
Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of English language, South Kazakhstan Pedagogical University named after O. Zhanibekov Shymkent, Kazakhstan
Abstract. Political discourse is a widely studied form of communication, but it is complicated to analyze due to the diversity of the political landscape and its presentation through the media. Political discourse often incorporates multiple forms of expression, such as verbal, visual, and musical codes. Christmas messages delivered by heads of state are a significant part of political speeches, traditionally given to mark the New Year. These messages require a compelling and lively delivery, often involving gestures, smiles, and enthusiastic speaking. They are considered communicative events, blending public speaking with media practices, particularly in the television format. Furthermore, Christmas messages are carefully produced, incorporating national symbols, festive decor, and music to merge verbal discourse with visual and auditory elements.
Keywords: political discourse, Christmas message, verbal discourse, multimodality, cultural values
УНИКАЛЬНЫЕ АСПЕКТЫ РОЖДЕСТВЕНСКИХ ПОСЛАНИЙ КАК КОМПОНЕНТА ПОЛИТИЧЕСКОГО ДИСКУРСА
Шингарева Марина Юрьевна,
кандидат филологических наук, доцент кафедры английского языка Южно-Казахстанского педагогического университета им. O. Жанибекова
Шымкент, Казахстан
Аннотация. Политический дискурс представляет собой широко изучаемую форму коммуникации, однако ее сложно анализировать из-за разнообразия политических выступлений и их представления через средства массовой информации. Политический дискурс часто включает в себя несколько форм выражения, таких как вербальные, визуальные и звуковые коды. Рождественские послания глав государств составляют значительную часть политических речей, традиционно произносимых по случаю Нового года. Эти сообщения требуют убедительной и живой подачи, часто с использованием жестов, улыбок и восторженных высказываний. Они считаются коммуникативными событиями, сочетающими публичные выступления с медиа-практиками, особенно в телевизионном формате. Кроме того, рождественские послания всегда постановочны и включают национальные символы, праздничный декор и музыку, позволяющие объединить словесный дискурс с визуальными и слуховыми элементами.
Ключевые слова: политический дискурс, рождественское послание, вербальный дискурс, мультимодальность, культурные ценности
Introduction
Values can be categorized as universal, cultural, and individual. Universal values are timeless and unchanging, found in religious texts and works of literature. Despite the modern focus on material wealth, universal values like unity, self-sacrifice, peace, and love remain relevant. Cultural values, on the other hand, are specific to a society and are reflected in laws, language, and social norms, but they should not be mistaken for universal values. When cultures clash, it often leads to conflict, but interaction can also enrich both sides. Understanding foreign cultures can help us recognize
the shared universal values that unite humanity. Individual values are reflected in personal goals and are shaped by education, experience, and external influences. Christmas values, for example, are universal across Catholic and Christian countries, emphasizing love, kindness, and mutual understanding during the holiday season.
Objectives
The primary goal of our case study was to examine the television adaptation of Christmas greetings delivered by former and present American presidents: Donald Trump, Barack Obama and Joe Biden. These greetings are significant in the context of media and political communication, as they contribute to shaping the public perception of the politicians. Additionally, they are meticulously planned and choreographed. Thus, our study considers the entire presentation, including the speech, background, music, camera work, and other elements that help viewers connect the performance to the Christmas spirit. Therefore, the essential elements in all Christmas messages should include references to Christmas values, followed by Christmas symbols. In the TV adaptations of the leaders' messages, Christmas symbols serve as a way to anchor the discourse, helping to signify the event and convey the information. At times, these symbols are even more crucial than the message itself, especially when families are gathered around the television and may not be able to hear the sound clearly due to conversation or other distractions. In these instances, the role of Christmas symbols is to create an atmosphere appropriate for the event's intentions. Some of the common Christmas symbols used in the majority of Christmas messages include: Christmas tree, Christmas colours, candles, carrol and green jewelry.
The UK saw its first Christmas tree in the 1830s, and the tradition gained popularity in 1841 when Prince Albert, Queen Victoria's German husband, displayed one at Windsor Castle. Since then, the Christmas tree has become a staple of British Christmas. To prevent fire hazards, the electric Christmas lights we use today were invented in 1895 by an American telephone operator. The Christmas tree has become a fundamental part of the holiday season.
In many countries, red and green are the prominent colors that endure in winter when most plants are bare. Evergreens like spruce and pine, as well as fruits like mountain ash, stand out during this time. These vibrant red and green colors have come to be strongly associated with winter, making it natural for them to become part of the significant celebration of Christmas. The colors also hold biblical significance, particularly with regard to life. The color red is closely linked to life and blood in the Bible, with the first human, "Adam," having a name that can be translated to "man" or "red" in Hebrew. As for the color green, it is frequently used in the Bible to describe living things in nature, but sin brought death and decay to both humanity and nature. Jesus came to restore life to both man and creation.
One of the main traditions of Advent is the use of wreaths with candles, which hold special significance. These wreaths are typically made of juniper and contain four candles arranged in a circle - three purple and one pink. The candles are lit in advance, with the first one lit four weeks before Christmas, and each subsequent Sunday another candle is lit. The purple candles symbolize the liturgical color of Advent, and the pink candle, lit on the third Sunday of Advent, represents the joyful expectation of Christ's coming into the world. On Christmas Day, a fifth candle is placed in the center of the wreath, often white or red, representing Jesus Christ as the "Light of the World," and is lit.
The song "A Christmas Carol" has its origins in Europe thousands of years ago, but it was not originally associated with Christmas. It was sung as pagan songs during the Winter Solstice celebrations at stone circles. The term "carol" originally meant "dance" or "song of joy" and was used for songs celebrating all seasons, but it became specifically associated with Christmas. Christmas carols are special songs that sing about Jesus Christ and his birth. Greenery such as holly, ivy, and mistletoe were traditionally used as decorations during the Winter Solstice Festival, and they have come to symbolize Christmas. Holly is a recognized symbol of Christmas, with some versions of the story suggesting that a wreath was made of it for Jesus Christ, and that it turned to red
berries after his blood was spilled on it. The spiny leaves symbolize the crown of thorns, while the red berries represent the blood shed by Jesus. Ivy, on the other hand, represents the idea of clinging to something for support and growth, reminding us to hold on to the Almighty for strength.
The history of the Christmas tradition of hanging a sprig of mistletoe in a house dates back to ancient Druids, who believed it brought good luck and warded off evil spirits. In Norse mythology, it symbolized love and friendship, and the tradition of kissing under it originated in England.
Materials and methods
The Christmas symbols, including mistletoe, used in holiday messages by heads of states contribute to the overall perception of the message, and our research analyzes the TV adaptations of Christmas greetings by Donald Trump, Barack Obama Joe Biden. The political discourse as a part of discourse itself have been studied in different years by prominent foreign researches: Laclau E., Mouffe Cli. (1985), Dijk T. A. van. (1985), Torfing J. (1999, 2005), Hall S. (1997), Chilton P. (2004), Wodak R. (1997, 2001), Kress G. (1985), Carpentier N., Servaes J., Lie R. (2003). Political discourse in media has been thoroughly analyzed by Fetzer A. and Lauerbach G.E.(2007). The methodology of our analysis is based on the discourse studies and political discourse in media, using algorithms provided by Christopher Sauer. The Christmas message, as a "multimedia show," involves the speaker, video sequences, environments, and other people contributing to the message content. The analysis includes steps such as finding a balanced way to realize the written text in accordance with the speaker's style and body language, adapting to TV features, considering media design, and choosing culturally relevant symbols and elements to support the processing of the message.[2]
Results and Discussions
The study begins with an examination of the final results of four Christmas messages. Table 1 provides an introduction to the corpus, focusing on the structure, length, and complexity of the opening sequences. The study excludes television presenters' announcements as they are distinct from the messages themselves. Most countries utilize the Presidential or Royal Palace as a symbol of national centrality, often accompanied by the National Anthem and flags or coats of arms. However, Barack Obama's speech has rather opening sequences when Joe Biden's message doesn't have any at all. This attention to the framing of the messages is of particular interest in the context of multimodal discourse.
Table 1.
Country Participants time Opening sequence
USA 2016 President and the first lady 4.04 President emblem on the blue screen, national anselm
USA 2017 President and the first lady 1.45 The national coat of arms, the flag and we see Mr. and Mrs.Trump in the doorway of the White house
USA 2021 President and the first lady 2.10 No opening sequence Joe and Jill Biden are sitting on a sofa
No opening sequence
USA 2022 President alone 8.03 In a total silence president is walking to the microphone
The possible reason of no opening sequences in Joe Biden's speech is the Coronovirus pandemic of 2021 when he just became the president, but in 2022 the situation got stabled so no opening sequence looks strange when in total silence the president is walking along the White House Hall towards the microphone.
Table 2 compiles information about the symbolic elements present in the location, the style of delivering the message, the objects placed on the head of state's desk or in their surroundings, and the closing sequences. The decision on whether to use a teleprompter or to display the manuscript during the delivery of the message depends on the individual experiences and preferences of the heads of state. However, the design and decorations of the room from which the message is delivered play a significant role in the decision-making process. The appearances of the speakers and their attire are also crucial, with differences observed in the festive clothing choices of various heads of state. For example Donald Trump's attire resembles that of someone heading to a New Year's Eve party in Florida immediately after the broadcast. Typically, the speakers are seated at a desk, with only the upper part of their body visible.
Barack Obama and Michelle are sitting without any visible desk and their poses appearing to be tense and hunched. Their movements are limited, with little hand gestures, except for Barack Obama, who uses hand motions to engage the public. Joe and Jill Biden (2021) are also sitting on a sofa but they seem to be relaxed and feeling comfortable. The speakers employ resources such as hand motions, gaze, and eye contact to connect with the audience. They prefer to create a studylike setting, even during festive occasions, with Christmas symbols and decorations. The rooms are arranged to resemble studies or homes, with family photographs adding to the ambiance. National symbols, such as flags and coats of arms, are also incorporated, providing a sense of self-evidence while subtly avoiding potential pitfalls.
Country Message delivery props Closing ceremony
USA 2016 Green room in the White House, sitting on a sofa, no manuscript, teleprompter, hand movements made by Barack Obama, laughing, heads turning, bodies bow to each other Christmas tree, mantelpiece decorated with Christmas garland, retrospective of their first Christmas message. No closing sequence
USA 2017 Blue room in the White House, half bodies seem to be standing, no manuscript, teleprompter, no hand movements, voice-over. White Christmas trees in the entrance hall, blue room decorated, garlands, framed gold paper silhouettes depicting early presidents celebrating Christmas in the green room, White House Creche depicting Jesus birth, giant Christmas tree in the blue room, decorating with seals of every US state and territories, White house gingerbread, different videos Camera goes closer and closer to Christmas tree, the last shot shows the star on the top, black screen and White House logo
USA 2021 White house cabinet, sitting on a sofa, no manuscript, teleprompter, hand movements made by Joe and Jill Biden, body movements, minor laughter Side-table decorated with Christmas garlands and candles, Christmas wreath hanging on the wall, visible piece of Christmas tree, different videos illustrating the words of the message. The last shot shows blue screen with White house logo
USA 2022 White House Entrance Hall Entrance Hall in the White house decorated with Christmas trees. In the background there are two flags: the US state flag and the US presidential flag the latest footage shows President Biden turning back to the microphone and walking away in silence
Analysing the picture in the frame, we can come to the conclusion that the traditions of filming Christmas messages completely overlap with sociocultural traditions. Festive attributes in the frame are an integral part of the messages as well as the universal wishes and religious references [3].
Christmas greetings from heads of state are an opportunity to show their "human" face, emphasize their connection with traditional American values, sum up their fruitful work and bring their individual worldview to the traditional values of the holiday. Thus, in 2016, Barack Obama wished the Americans a Merry Christmas on behalf of his family, children and two dogs; the following year, Donald Trump congratulated the Americans on behalf of himself, his wife and son, completely forgetting his eldest daughter. Joe and Jill Biden have had to ask people to cancel family celebrations due to the coronavirus pandemic. The following year, speaking alone, Joe Biden again asked for strength and patience due to the deteriorating economic situation. The address of the American president has not yet been announced this year, but we believe that the theme of patience, love and universal forgiveness will be heard again.
Conclusion
At the end we would like to mention that the combination of different modes in Christmas greetings, as discussed in this paper, often results in a discrepancy between the visual and verbal elements. In some instances, the disconnect between what is seen and what is heard is stark, with the visual and auditory components bearing little resemblance to each other. Certain speakers are more adept at integrating these elements into their presentations than others. Additionally, recognizing the use of multiple modes as a form of communication and its alignment with audience expectations, particularly in relation to media consumption habits, can facilitate the inclusion of visual components in the broader context of political discourse. The concept of "multimodality" presents extensive opportunities for further exploration and research.
Bibliography
1 Kress, G. and Leeuwen, T. Van 2002. "Colours as a semiotic mode: notes for a grammar of colour". Visual Communication 1(3): 343-368.
2 Sauer, C. 2002."Ceremonial text and talk. A functional-pragmatic approach". In Politics as Talk and Text. Analytic Approaches to Political Discourse, P.Chilton and C.Schaffner (eds.), 111142. Amsterdam/Philadelphia: John Benjamins.
3 Kantorowicz, E. H. 1957. The King's Two Bodies. A Study in Mediaeval Political Theology. Princeton: Princeton University Press.
