Good Reads Library
Happy Holidays. All of Them.
But I am sure I have always thought of Christmas time, when it has come round, -- apart from the veneration due to its sacred origin, if anything belonging to it call be apart from that, -- as a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time; the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow-travellers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys. And therefore, uncle, though it has never put a scrap of gold or silver in my pocket, I believe that it has done me good, and will do me good; and I say, God bless it!"
Charles Dickens: "A Christmas Carol"
There has been a lot of crap out there lately about how the ACLU, or other "liberal" (read non conservative Christian) organizations want to "take away" Christmas. There's a big flap among such knuckleheads over how their chief ninny, Prince Georgie, put "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas'' on his Christmas cards this year, thereby "kowtowing" to the horrible forces of evil that are trying to take the Christ out of Christmas.
Sorry, folks. No one is trying to take Christmas away from you.
Quite the opposite. You see, I know it's slipped your tiny minds, but this is supposed to be a season of love and sharing. We just want to let everyone in to share the celebration.
You know, I have no problem with someone saying "God Bless You" or "Jesus Loves You" to me. I happen to be an agnostic and a Jewish agnostic at that, but saying something like that is including me in a blessing.
On the other hand, the minister who sent me a religious tract (with an Ebay payment no less) that pretty much said that my loved ones and I are going to hell because our beliefs don't jive with his isn't exactly sharing the love.
As for taking the Christ out of Christmas, I don't see what garish Christmas lights, hideous inflatible house decorations, gluttonous meals or lavish presents have to do with the Christ Child's birth and his message. And we won't even get into Christmas trees or Santa Claus, will we?
Go to church, do some good for the poor and needy and do right by your neighbors and you'll be celebrating the "Christian" meanings of Christmas. The rest of it is secular trimmings that the rest of us enjoy along with our Chanukah and Kwanzaa celebrations.
We'll be happy to have you leave all that to us, so we can enjoy this season of love.
Oh, and Happy Chanukah, Kwanzaa, New Year and Winter Solstice. And a VERY Merry Christmas!
