christmas

Santa

The legend of Santa Claus is an old one. It is filled with a history, broad and wide, that includes a saint, several stories from several countries, and an ad campaign. It belongs to everyone and is part of everyone in one way or another. Saint Clause was indeed a man who was sainted, not because he was a Christian but rather because of the good that he did.

But the story of Santa Claus is older. People have been telling stories since our languages would allow it and it is nice to imagine that these stories contained the spirit of Christmas. That sense of wonder and of doing good, of making others feel good, of feeling good ourselves. The spirit of Christmas is older than its modern, western version. And it is more important.

Coca-Cola gave the west its latest version of Santa Claus, a fitting story that explains the unfortunate commercialization of so much that makes up our lives. But we can look beyond the product of the season and find the simple reasons that an old story offers. Any old story will do, but we have to believe. We have to believe that our stories are important and meaningful. We have to search every once in a while for a jolly old man in a sleigh and for flying reindeer, and for that smile that we use to get when we were children.

Santa is an atheist. And Santa is a Christian. He is Jewish and Islamic. Santa is what we want him to be. Santa is that story that we remember as a child, and that excitement on those mornings we woke up early and ran to the tree. Santa sits at the dinner table when we invite him and dances around the tree when we let him. Santa Claus is a tradition that can bring us together over a meal or a drink. Invite him in and let your imagination fly. And let others do the same.

Merry Christmas.

Merry & Happy!

“Keep ‘christ’ in Christmas”

“There’s a reason to the season”

There are many Christian platitudes that have taken over Christmas in this country, the USA.  But as anyone with any curiosity would know, Christmas is a mishmash of numerous belief systems and traditions.  It really has nothing to do with the Christian religion.  However, the so-called ‘battle’ between religion and the non-religious seems to churn along in all of its unimportant and ideological glory.  This is too bad.

As about as militant an atheist as there is (think Richard Dawkins), what we call this time of year is truly unimportant.  In fact, I would argue to those that are put off on either side are missing the point entirely.  First, if we called the holiday season Kwansikanikas, or Hanumanikas, the problem would still be here because as a society we tend to miss important points.

As the atheist beforementioned I would like to take this time to wish everyone a MERRY CHRISTMAS!  To those fellow atheists, quit sweating the small stuff.  To those religious folks that happen not to be christians, just enjoy your own holiday in your own way and quit trying prove a point.  To those christians that continually bleat the importance of Christ in Christmas read some history and get off your high horse.

Remember, it is seldom that we human beings can actually smile at each other and wish each other the best; let’s do that, if not all year then at least for a short time at the end of the year.

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Merry Christmas!

country-christmas

Merry Christmas everyone!  It has been the time for Christmas spirit as well as that time of year when we all try just a little harder to be a little nicer.  Just as so many other things in our lives, it is a good reminder that in order to change the world we must first begin with the belief that we can, and then act upon it.  It is not much different than the Christmas season itself.

You may not believe in Santa Claus, but to act as if you do doesn’t hurt.  Santa Claus embodies the potential that we have as individuals.  The hard part of potential is that it takes time, more than a season of cheer has to spare.  But it is well worth it.  But that is perhaps the worth of believing in Santa: we can better ourselves for reasons other than selfish ones.

Perhaps Christmas reminds us that our dreams do not have to be forgotten; that our goals do not have to go unsung.  Christmas reminds us that failure is an option, but never for long.  The Christmas spirit is that spirit that we all have in those unfortunately few moments when we forget ourselves and the typical cash and consumerism motivations that we often do not realize define us.

While some of us cannot be with family, we can maintain our Christmas spirit by remembering that family is not always blood relatives and that friends are friends even if they are far away.  And so, I raise a glass of my favorite Islay to those I cannot be with tonight, and wish those as well as everyone else little bit of happiness in their lives, as much as there is room for!