We love Christmas here at the crazy, everything from the good will of men to the smell of pine in the house. The good food, family and friends. Giving gifts (when we can afford it.) Watching A Christmas Carol. (Some of us here try to watch it every year.)
In the last few years we have been surprised by a lot of noise from the right that Christmas is under attack. And we suppose there is some truth to that statement, some people believe that America is a secular nation and when we have a national holiday to celebrate a Christian celebration it violates our constitution. So being thinking individuals some of us agree that this may hold some truth to it, but, and this is a big but. (almost put two t's in the last but, which would have been true also but not relevant to the conversation.) Christmas is actually a hodgepodge of at least 4 different celebrations. The Roman celebration of Saturnalia, which was celebrated from the 17th through the 23rd of December, in the 4th century in an attempt to get more pagans to turn Christian, religious leaders promised the pagans they could continue to celebrate Saturnalia if they converted as December 25th was decreed to be the day Christ was born. It also closely coincides with the Winter Solstice which was celebrated by Druids for many centuries before that time, Celebrated by worshipping trees in the forest or bringing them into thier homes to decorate. As for Saint Nicholas who was a senior bishop at the council of Nicea in CE 325. (Which by the way decided that Jews were "the children of the devil.")
He was actually brought into the Christmas HodgePodge by Turkish sailors who brought his bones to Italy in 1087 there he replaced a female boon giving deity called The Grandmother who would fill childrens stocking with gifts. So what do we have for Christmas Celebration 1. Saturnalia. 2. Solstice. 3.Nicholas 4. The Grandmother. 5.Jesus Christ. All in all quite a happy little family, so next time someone wishes you a Merry Christmas, if you are Christian, wish them a Merry Christmas back. If you aren't Christian smile and say Happy HodgePodge to you. But we think the number one rule, quit being offended by other peoples belief systems. They do you no harm by wishing you a Merry Christmas, Happy Hannuka, Happy Kwanza, or Merry Solstice.
They are spreading good will, and there certainly is nothing wrong with that.
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