by writerddHi everyone. Quiet around here lately. I imagine that everyone is busy with holiday preparations, shopping, and travel plans. I've been noticing the annual "war on Christmas" stories popping around the blogosphere and I'd just like to say that I think the best way to win the imaginary war is to celebrate Christmas with abandon -- especially if you don't believe the baby Jesus is endowed with divinity or supernatural powers.
I love Christmas. I love Christmas trees, carols, sappy holiday movies, and the sound of jingle bells. I love the good cheer and the wishes for "peace on earth, goodwill toward men (and women and children)". I love that people will travel halfway around the world at this time of year to be with friends and family. I love that we indulge in family traditions that we ignore for the rest of the year. I love that for one month you can ignore diets and discipline and just enjoy life in its fullest, without guilt. I simply can't help myself and I don't think I should try. I even celebrated when I lived in California with no snow or cold weather.I think the biggest humbugs are the Christians who make a stink about the war on Christmas, hence squelching the spirit of joy and cheer that everyone else is feeling. They turn a time of joy and goodwill into a time of anger and bitterness. And I'm not playing their game.
Merry Christmas!
How do you celebrate at this time of year?
Posts
2 comments:
I celebrate with brandied apple cider!
I celebrate Christmas as the secular holiday it's become. Oh I know it has religious roots and I'm aware of them, but it's no different than the mythical roots of other now-extinct holidays (fertility rite at Easter anyone)?
And I have no problem with Christmas being a public celebration as long as taxpayers aren't footing the bill for religious displays and messages. As an atheist, of course it's not fair to make me pay for a religious observance, but more importantly it's not fair to everyone else who believes differently as well. Let people express themselves as much as they want, but let's keep the government civic and secular.
Anyway, that's my only rant. I love this time of year and all of the celebrations. Without some sort of religious celebration we wouldn't have Christmas (whether it's Jesus, Mithra, or celebrating the return of the sun) and I recognize that. To me it's most fun to celebrate the time of year by celebrating how humans have evolved enough to not need myths to explain the world around them.
Post a Comment