Christmas is Christmas people. Call it that.
It has been commercialized to hell. Yes, I know it was a pagan holiday that Christianity took over. Fine. In our culture (collectively I mean first world western norms) it has been and should continue to be Christmas. Around the same time each year is Hanukkah and Kwanza and that is wonderful too. I admire and salute both holidays. That doesn’t mean that every holiday should loose its personality because several fall around the same time. Ask yourself, have you seen Kwanza sales anywhere? NO. Why? Because it is a new holiday and last I check not one based on gift giving. Hanukah has managed to last centuries in harmony with Christmas. Why is it now we have to remove Christmas form everything? I’m sure if they put a huge Dreidel in Time’s Square, it would not be called the “Holiday Dreidel.”
Yes, yes, I have Christmas issues myself. I get fed up every year with the holiday and I have a love/hate relationship with it, but it is CHRISTMAS and not the generic winter holiday. Love it or hate it, at least call a spade a spade. Now all my liberal friends are rolling their eyes. I guess we just have to agree to disagree on this, but if you don’t want to celebrate Christmas, then don’t, but don’t force everyone else to give it up just because you don’t like it.
Tonight the Charlie Brown Christmas special comes on. it is a
tradition here and it is VERY religious in tone. This
is the 40th year and I think most Americans have
childhood memories of the program. I'm glad it has
survived and there are still nativity scenes around. So
the meaning is not totally lost. The commercialism
disgusts me. I lost one of my Grandmas just a couple of
days before Christmas 2000. My family here has
disbanded. So much about Christmas makes me sad.
Last year I threatened to go off and be alone ion Christmas The suicide rate is insane this time of year and honestly, it probably has to do with a life time of disappointments for most people. I think last year I understood fully why that is.
Promises broken by relatives, arguments made, loved
ones lost and a society that says "thou shalt get all
the toys" has put a dark mask on the holiday. So this
year, like many others, people will drive drunk, take
pills or put a gun in their mouth. I gave blood
yesterday because this is the year it is most in need.
Folks get too busy shopping and forget to give. So
part of me hopes that when a depressed person doesn't
administer a fully fatal gunshot or when some teenager
gets hit by a drunk driver, their second chance at
life will begin with a pint of my A positive. That
gift, which I give all year, might be the biggest
contribution I've made to the holidays.
This time of
year makes me sad as hell too. Sad that my father has
alienated nearly everyone who ever cared about him and sits
alone on Christmas. Sad that my mother and step
father are so far away. Sad my Grandmother is gone.
Even our old Chihuahua Oliver pops up in my head this time of year. I'm sad that
My brother is still looking for a job and my sister works two to make ends meet. I'm sad the only
house that has been in my family my whole life was
just sold. I'm sad that a met a really nice guy and then he died a few months later. In my darkest most Grinch-like hour, I still feel happy that I found love, have good health and will see another
year. I'm sure it will have its share of hardships,
but I wouldn't trade it for the world.
A wiser man than me, a devout atheist I might add, once wrote a song that sums up what the holiday is about. The other day, I was standing in a store when this came over the muzak and realized how much of the lyrics are probably lost on most people
So this is Xmas
And what have you done
Another year over
And a new one just begun
And so this is Christmas
I hope you have fun
The near and the dear one
The old and the young
A very Merry Christmas
And a happy New Year
Let's hope it's a good one
Without any fear
And so this is Christmas
For weak and for strong
For rich and the poor ones
The world is so wrong
And so happy Christmas
For black and for white
For yellow and red ones
Let's stop all the fight
A very Merry Christmas
And a happy New Year
Let's hope it's a good one
Without any fear
And so this is Christmas
And what have we done
Another year over
A new one just begun
And so happy Christmas
We hope you have fun
The near and the dear one
The old and the young
A very Merry Christmas
And a happy New Year
Let's hope it's a good one
Without any fear
War is over, if you want it
War is over now
It has been commercialized to hell. Yes, I know it was a pagan holiday that Christianity took over. Fine. In our culture (collectively I mean first world western norms) it has been and should continue to be Christmas. Around the same time each year is Hanukkah and Kwanza and that is wonderful too. I admire and salute both holidays. That doesn’t mean that every holiday should loose its personality because several fall around the same time. Ask yourself, have you seen Kwanza sales anywhere? NO. Why? Because it is a new holiday and last I check not one based on gift giving. Hanukah has managed to last centuries in harmony with Christmas. Why is it now we have to remove Christmas form everything? I’m sure if they put a huge Dreidel in Time’s Square, it would not be called the “Holiday Dreidel.”
Yes, yes, I have Christmas issues myself. I get fed up every year with the holiday and I have a love/hate relationship with it, but it is CHRISTMAS and not the generic winter holiday. Love it or hate it, at least call a spade a spade. Now all my liberal friends are rolling their eyes. I guess we just have to agree to disagree on this, but if you don’t want to celebrate Christmas, then don’t, but don’t force everyone else to give it up just because you don’t like it.
Tonight the Charlie Brown Christmas special comes on. it is a
tradition here and it is VERY religious in tone. This
is the 40th year and I think most Americans have
childhood memories of the program. I'm glad it has
survived and there are still nativity scenes around. So
the meaning is not totally lost. The commercialism
disgusts me. I lost one of my Grandmas just a couple of
days before Christmas 2000. My family here has
disbanded. So much about Christmas makes me sad.
Last year I threatened to go off and be alone ion Christmas The suicide rate is insane this time of year and honestly, it probably has to do with a life time of disappointments for most people. I think last year I understood fully why that is.
Promises broken by relatives, arguments made, loved
ones lost and a society that says "thou shalt get all
the toys" has put a dark mask on the holiday. So this
year, like many others, people will drive drunk, take
pills or put a gun in their mouth. I gave blood
yesterday because this is the year it is most in need.
Folks get too busy shopping and forget to give. So
part of me hopes that when a depressed person doesn't
administer a fully fatal gunshot or when some teenager
gets hit by a drunk driver, their second chance at
life will begin with a pint of my A positive. That
gift, which I give all year, might be the biggest
contribution I've made to the holidays.
This time of
year makes me sad as hell too. Sad that my father has
alienated nearly everyone who ever cared about him and sits
alone on Christmas. Sad that my mother and step
father are so far away. Sad my Grandmother is gone.
Even our old Chihuahua Oliver pops up in my head this time of year. I'm sad that
My brother is still looking for a job and my sister works two to make ends meet. I'm sad the only
house that has been in my family my whole life was
just sold. I'm sad that a met a really nice guy and then he died a few months later. In my darkest most Grinch-like hour, I still feel happy that I found love, have good health and will see another
year. I'm sure it will have its share of hardships,
but I wouldn't trade it for the world.
A wiser man than me, a devout atheist I might add, once wrote a song that sums up what the holiday is about. The other day, I was standing in a store when this came over the muzak and realized how much of the lyrics are probably lost on most people
So this is Xmas
And what have you done
Another year over
And a new one just begun
And so this is Christmas
I hope you have fun
The near and the dear one
The old and the young
A very Merry Christmas
And a happy New Year
Let's hope it's a good one
Without any fear
And so this is Christmas
For weak and for strong
For rich and the poor ones
The world is so wrong
And so happy Christmas
For black and for white
For yellow and red ones
Let's stop all the fight
A very Merry Christmas
And a happy New Year
Let's hope it's a good one
Without any fear
And so this is Christmas
And what have we done
Another year over
A new one just begun
And so happy Christmas
We hope you have fun
The near and the dear one
The old and the young
A very Merry Christmas
And a happy New Year
Let's hope it's a good one
Without any fear
War is over, if you want it
War is over now
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