The War on Christmas?

The War on Christmas ~ Give me a F*cking Break. 

    I love Christmas. Love it. I love the lights and the music and the presents and the shiny packages, and spending time with family and friends that I don’t see at any other time. Oh, and the lights. Did I mention the lights? I will go out in the evening just to look at everyone’s lights. I rarely – if ever - have many outside myself. But I give thanks as I roam around enjoying the illuminated hillsides…the many pointed stars, the all-white clusters and the occasional house of many colors. I love them all. The amazing people who light their entire yards and homes and let you drive through slowly with the windows down if you can bear the cold, Christmas music blaring…Santa, reindeer, Mrs. Clause, huge candy canes, and Baby Jesus.    

    I love Baby Jesus. Even love grown up Jesus. I’ve always loved “The Christmas Story” with the stars and the shepherds and most of all the little drummer boy. Some of my favorite songs this time of year are the christian ones. It’s how I was raised. Lights, presents, baby Jesus. Good stuff. 

    And Santa always comes for me. Because I believe. Whether it’s my friend when I was 18 who took me out to his car to show me a backseat full of gifts for me and my sister, or if it was finding out a few years ago that I would indeed have a roof over my head on Christmas Eve. Santa always shows.

    Oh and don’t even get me started on Christmas Eve. THE Night. Growing up – that was the night I spent at my Mom’s house. That’s not where the presents were. Not where the food was. It’s where Mom was. And it will always, always be my favorite night of the year. So… 
    I’m not trying to take away your Christmas – so stop harshing on mine with your ridiculous cries of "War on Christmas." YOU are the one trying to wage a war. Even if no one wants to fight against you. 

   You see – I am a pagan. In my home and even in my yard if I want to, I celebrate what “the Season” means to me. I celebrate the Ancients and the joy they celebrated at confirming that yes – once again the Sun was returning. You know…the Solstice is Dec 21ish…took a few days to confirm that this Life Giving Force was indeed coming back to save the world…so…Dec 25 sounds about right for the big throw down par-tay. Okay. That’s just my take on it. I don’t expect Christmas to mean to anyone what it means to me. 

    The point is that it DOES mean something to me. And I believe it means a lot to most people. So can’t we just all get along and agree that Christmas is MAGICAL. Whether it’s because a tiny baby king was born of a virgin into this world or because even in the darkest of days we have the promise of a returning light to warm the earth, grow our crops, and keep this whole freakin’ planet alive. Let’s just PARTY! 

    May you have a very Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Joyful Kwanzaa, a Blessed Yule, and everything else…and if nothing else may you still have a great December 25, 2012. And of course – this is all presuming Cthulhu doesn’t show.