The Religion of Wrestling
Displays of Religion in the WWE & Associated Companies
IT'S A NEW DAY, YES IT IS
The New Day are an absolutely over-the-top tag team who are brimming with charisma. Their ring-gear seems to change colour every month or so, maybe coinciding with the colours of Catholic alter linens which are changed periodically to represent the current church season. Their percieved leader, Big E, is often dressed in a long cloak, sometimes with a stole around his neck, also similar to Roman Catholic priestly vestments. Their uniforms feature a large bird with outsretched wings. The "lectern" or podium from which the Bible is held and read in the Catholic traditions is often shaped like an eagle, and the large Bible is held on it's back. Despite the nuances in their dress, The New Day are anything but orthodox.
They are very enthusiastic about clapping to get hyped up, and they encourage the audience to "clap along and feel the power!" Clapping in church, after performances by the choir or after a super-duper-wonderful sermon is really discouraged and looked down upon in the Catholic traditions. Contrary to this, it is embraced in the more liberal Protestant traditions such as Pentecostal and Baptist denominations. The New Day have a lot of similarities to charismatic Christian preachers, but they have no direct Christian message. Instead they preach the "power of positivity," insisting that with a positive attitude, anything can be achieved (Pritchard 2015).
