Since my family doesn't worship Jesus, and he likely wasn't born on 25 December anyway....we didn't celebrate the birth of the Messiah today. We did have a Christmas party, though. We had homemade pizza, homemade fruitcake, a box of Vosgues chocolate, and some other goodies.
We didn't have a tree, or stockings. There was no Nativity Scene, or visit from Santa Claus. But we did HAVE some elements of Christmas. The fruitcake had red and green cherries (stock full of high fructose corn syrup and artificial food dyes); and we listened to Nick Lachey sing "What Christmas Means to Me".
Australians were brought up in the evening's conversation, and not just by me.
My brother-in-law introduced a debate about Julian Assange.
My mom waxed poetic about Simon Baker in The Mentalist.
My sister thought a guy from Street Corner Symphony, in The Sing Off looks like Heath Ledger. I didn't really see the resemblance. But we did both agree that Ben Folds looks a bit like Dana Carvey.
Anyway, back to the Christmas thing.
I LOVE Christmas. It may be my favorite holiday, although we don't officially celebrate it. I think it's something that everyone can love and participate in....each in their own little way.
I don't see the point of getting upset over people wishing others a Merry Christmas....whether they are Christian or not. But I am equally exasperated with people who get offended when someone chooses the more politically correct route of saying Happy Holidays! I personally think it's a nice way of recognizing that there are other religions, traditions, and belief systems besides Christianity. I personally don't think it's necessary, but it's nice. I'm fine with Merry Christmas, happy holidays, Happy Chanukah, Feliz Navidad, whatever.
If Christmas WAS just about Jesus and Christianity, I would see a Merry Christmas greeting as being narrow-minded and ethnocentric. But it's NOT just about Jesus. It's also about ancient pagan celebrations, candy canes, family togetherness, bullied reindeer, rescued snowmen, Chinese food for Jews, lit up front yards, hot chocolate with marshmallows, Santa Claus, fruitcake, and guns that might shoot your eye out.
We didn't have a tree, or stockings. There was no Nativity Scene, or visit from Santa Claus. But we did HAVE some elements of Christmas. The fruitcake had red and green cherries (stock full of high fructose corn syrup and artificial food dyes); and we listened to Nick Lachey sing "What Christmas Means to Me".
Australians were brought up in the evening's conversation, and not just by me.
My brother-in-law introduced a debate about Julian Assange.
My mom waxed poetic about Simon Baker in The Mentalist.
My sister thought a guy from Street Corner Symphony, in The Sing Off looks like Heath Ledger. I didn't really see the resemblance. But we did both agree that Ben Folds looks a bit like Dana Carvey.
Anyway, back to the Christmas thing.
I LOVE Christmas. It may be my favorite holiday, although we don't officially celebrate it. I think it's something that everyone can love and participate in....each in their own little way.
I don't see the point of getting upset over people wishing others a Merry Christmas....whether they are Christian or not. But I am equally exasperated with people who get offended when someone chooses the more politically correct route of saying Happy Holidays! I personally think it's a nice way of recognizing that there are other religions, traditions, and belief systems besides Christianity. I personally don't think it's necessary, but it's nice. I'm fine with Merry Christmas, happy holidays, Happy Chanukah, Feliz Navidad, whatever.
If Christmas WAS just about Jesus and Christianity, I would see a Merry Christmas greeting as being narrow-minded and ethnocentric. But it's NOT just about Jesus. It's also about ancient pagan celebrations, candy canes, family togetherness, bullied reindeer, rescued snowmen, Chinese food for Jews, lit up front yards, hot chocolate with marshmallows, Santa Claus, fruitcake, and guns that might shoot your eye out.
What would our world be like if we
knew for sure there
was life after death, and
we could easily talk to our
dearly-departed on the Internet?
The Dead are Online a novel by Dina Roberts
