The presents have been opened. Most of them. We still have to head to Fort Oglethorpe tomorrow to complete the circle of family and friends, and that will entail a bit more unwrapping and smiling and thanking. So … what did you get? I got a couple of sweaters (very classy and actually needed), some wool pants (again, classy and needed), a few books (the new Philip Roth and America), a Trivial Pursuit game (the ’90s box), a Mr Incredible mug, new shoes (Merrells to replace my originals), a new keyboard for the PC with lights that blink and buttons that need to be assigned, and a few other things. It has been a good holiday, rest assured. It has been sweet to have people smile and remind us that this is our first Christmas together — though actually, it is our third. This one just happens to fall after October’s exchanging of rings.
Meanwhile, the world keeps spinning. I wonder what the news will pick up next, since tomorrow they’ll have to stop defending the sanctity of the holiday in passionate news-bites snapped between blaring advertisements for Pre-Christmas and Post-Christmas sales at every mall, store, kiosk and fruitstand. Frankly, I think that Christmas does mighty well. Those who celebrate specifically and take into account the original meaning of the holiday can do so in this country with reckless abandon.
Want to wish Jesus Christ a happy birthday? Then please do so with all the fervor you can muster and all the lights you can string and all of the tinsel you can hang and all of the navitity scenes you can stage. Want to just enjoy a day off work with a night at the movies and some Chinese food? The choice is yours as well. The brilliance of this holiday is that it is just that inclusive and expansive. You can celebrate or not. You can go absolutely “O Holy Night” insane … or not. You can wish a passerby “Merry Christmas” or “Happy Holidays” or “Good Tidings” … or not. If they take offense, so be it. You’re just trying to be nice and unless someone wears a convenient t-shirt with a picture of Santa Claus or The Messiah crossed out on the front, then they’re fair game for your somewhat presumptive but moreso well-meaning kindness. And lets not confuse ourselves into thinking that there is any kind of secret conspiracy against the holiness of the holiday. Without Christ there is no Christmas. Plain and simple.
And it isn’t a game where some other religion’s festival is going to suddenly become the winter holiday prom queen. A pack of godless heathens are not going to replace all of your shepherds and wisemen with Krishnas and Shivas. So while there are other scheduled events during the month of December, you’ll notice that the malls and banks aren’t closed on the Winter Solstice, are they? No. The 25th is the Big Day and will remain the Big Day. I would like to say that benevolent faith-based organizations will always keep it that way, but it will probably be stores like Macys and Nordstroms that keep Santa in vogue. After all … they’re the ones having the big sales on the 26th.
If you’re still not convinced about the immortality of the holiday, you might want to read this piece over at The Morning News.
Any sense of modesty is, in my opinion, unwarranted—Christians have chosen a more influential system of beliefs, so why be bashful about tinseling it up once a year? It must be very liberating to decorate a tree without worrying about being clubbed by Cossacks. I envy that kind of freedom.
And with 20 minutes to spare … Merry Christmas. One more time.
