Merry Giftmas

I the spirit of the season, winter that is, I'd like to wish you all a happy and wonderful whatever thing you celebrate.

I say whatever thing because because I know a lot of my readers (and friends) and Christians who are celebrating Christmas. Merry Christmas ya'll. Also I know some of my Jewish friends will be celebrating Hanukkah. (And by the way isn't it ironic that if Jesus were alive he'd actually celebrate Hanukkah too? GO ahead, ponder that. Weird.) Well Mazel Tov folks. If you celebrate Kwanza, then happy that. Hopi? Neopaganistic? Druid? Enjoy. Yule? Alrighty then. Festivus? Super. Solstice? Hey, how about that full moon people? Bodhi day for you Buddhists? Ok. I'm sorry that already passed. My apologies form missing it. Saturnalia? Well, if you celebrate that that you're from ancient Rome. As far a I know, none of my readers are from ancient Rome. And some of my readers don't believe in the Christian God or any other god for that matter. Well enjoy the day off anyway people. It's all good. Atheists get to celebrate too. Who doesn't like a celebration?

I think you get what I'm saying.

Even if a lot of my readers are celebrating Christmas in it's traditional sense, they're still only making up 33% of the world. In the traditional definition of "Christian" 75% of Americans identify themselves as such. OK so twice the world population. And most of my readers are American, except for a couple of Russians and one great lady from Iceland (you know who you are) and some Germans. In any case, by the American "born again" definition of Christian only 25% of Americans are such. As for the rest of you, I can't say.

I'm calling it giftmas. Because, let's get real, in most celebrations that's what is happening. We are giving each other stuff. And sometimes lots of it.

This is our tree:



It has gifts under it. Not as many as in years past, but gifts none the less. And you know what I'm not trying to hide behind the fact that Christmas is a lot about that. And family. And cookies. And occasionally someone getting intoxicated and making a real jerk of themselves. Hey, it happens.

So whatever you believe or don't believe, merry happy that thing (or not).

It's one world folks. We all live in it.