December is one of my favorite months. Humankind devised ways to make this dark and usually cold month light-filled and festive. Our agrarian roots found joy in the Winter Solstice and celebrated the day the sun returns. The ancient classical world crafted tales of the mystical birth of a Midwinter King that took place on or near the Winter Solstice. Tammuz, Attis, Apollo and Dionysus, Mithras and Baal were all divine mid-winter births.
These celebrations included evergreens that represented life during winter's death sleep. As Christianity spread, the ancient tradition of evergreens followed.
So 2007 years later (give or take a few years either way) there is an alleged war against Christmas because some inclusive persons decided that instead of calling a decorated mid-winter evergreen a Christmas Tree, they called it a Holiday Tree.
My Christian education taught that one of the foremost elements of Christianity is inclusiveness. We are all God's children. Call the tree anything you like, but don't condemn those who don't celebrate Christmas and don't declare war on those who believe this is a time to celebrate all of us. I can't believe that the Good God of this universe would choose a naughty Christian over a loving and kind Muslim, Jew, Buddhist, or whatever.
I don't understand why fanatic Christians, Muslims, Jews, etc., believe that it is ONLY their God, their beliefs or the highway to hell. I want to ask, "What part of God do you not understand?"
We have a Christmas tree in our home. I host holiday parties that include a wide range of people and their belief systems. We will celebrate Christmas Eve and share a Merry Christmas Day with our family, and we wish happy holidays to all of those who celebrate other December events. Is this not the Christian way? There is no attack against Christmas. It is the exact opposite: honoring all that the Christmas miracle teaches.
Now, only one Christmas miracle remains. How do I eat all that grand food and not gain an inth of a pound?
Merry Christmas, a belated Hanukkah, Season's Greetings, and Happy New Year to everyone from the snowed-in Santa Fe Mother Blogger.
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