Thursday, December 25, 2008

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas, everyone! Celebrate as you please! Newton's birthday (by the old Julian calendar)! Hanukkah (or however you spell it)! It's the Winter Solstice, a time when celebration is needed to ease the gloom of winter.

There are two classes of people I do not tolerate very well, sorry.

One is the anti-religion nerd-grinch who refuses to celebrate Christmas because it's the mythical birthday of an imaginary man-god that no sane and rational person could ever believe in.

The other is the religion spastic who bleats, "Put Christ back into Christmas," which is really double-speak code for, "Shove everything else out of Christmas."

Our winter solstice holiday season, complete with the make-believe man-god's mythical birthday, is believed to have dated to the 23-rd century BC if not indeed earlier, if certain ancient Sumerian and Elamite writings eventually prove to be genuine. With a tradition like that, no person in their right mind would refuse to celebrate.

3 comments:

The skepTick said...

Oh that's right...it was Newton's birthday! I knew I was exchanging presents for a good reason. Thanks for keeping us informed!

Todd the Toad said...

I went through an anti-Christmas phase but have now learned to enjoy this period of consumeristic debauchery. And as far the birth story goes, it no longer bothers me -- it's all symbolism. Too many atheists are wired too tight, I'm just an apathetic agnostic and won't freak out if some city puts a nativity scene on their property. It is not a theocratic conspiracy, but rather just one of many traditions that provide richness to our culture.

Mark Wadsworth said...

That's the beauty of it, it transcends religion and everybody chooses his or her own meaning, which have changed over the millenia and according to taste.

For me, Xmas is a celebration of coloured lights, pressies for the kids, a few days off work and alcohol. And cheesy Xmas music.