Christmas Eve 2012

Merry Christmas.

Such nice and easy words, though too many folks have turned them into a club. On one side are the folks who insist that only Christians get to celebrate the holidays, so if you say “Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas”, you’re doing some terrible damage to the Christian holiday – you might even be offending the Most High, who’s pretty busy running the whole universe by the way.

To which I say, “Get over it.”

Anyone can celebrate these wonderful holidays in whatever way they want. Just because I call myself a Christian doesn’t mean I get to own this month of the year, and dictate the rules to the holiday that everyone else must follow. To paraphrase Ebenezer, I’ll keep Christmas however I want, and you get to keep it however you want.

On the other side are the folks who insist on being offended if someone does use the phrase “Merry Christmas”, as-if uttering this phrase works some sort of dark magic and is part of an evil conversion ritual.

To which I say, equally, “Get over it.”

If I say Merry Christmas to you, it’s because that’s what I’m celebrating right now. If you celebrate Kwanzaa or some other holiday instead this time of year, (the list of holidays around the winter solstice is staggering), then simply bid me a happy Kwanzaa in return, or whatever the appropriate phrase would be.

We’ll both smile, and enjoy the good wishes of our fellow human, and go on about our wonderful celebration.

Rachel Evans posted a really nice article about this topic this year. If you enjoy the post you’re reading, I feel sure you’ll enjoy her post as well.

Today is Christmas Eve 2012. I think I enjoy this day more than Christmas Day itself. I love to stay up late, have a little Oyster Stew, watch the candles burn, and reflect back on the love and wonder the past year has brought to me.

If I’m up late enough, I’ll greet ‘ol St Nick as he comes down my chimney. We’ll sit by the fire, and share a glass of some really nice Tennessee Whiskey I’ve been saving for him. Then he’ll climb back up the chimney to go work his magic in every heart across the globe that believes in magic.

And I do.

So, on this most glorious of days, Merry Christmas to you! May all the joy and wonder of the season infect your life as it has mine!