| Christmas is a conundrum for most people. | | | | joined the club and became the last state to |
| It's like a rich, octogenarian uncle. You | | | | do so. Christmas was declared an official US |
| love him, he's insanely funny and | | | | holiday in 1870. The first "official" use of |
| provocative, he gives you really nice | | | | Christmas decorations to lure in shoppers was |
| presents and just might leave you an Italian | | | | at a NYC department store in 1900. |
| villa in his will. But he needs to be taken | | | | |
| to the bathroom regularly, requires a lot of | | | | So what does that mean today? Basically, it |
| attention, is opinionated and makes you | | | | means that there is no historical "truth" to |
| absolutely crazy when you have to take him to | | | | any of the familiar observations we've come |
| a fancy cocktail party because you never know | | | | to embrace, whether we're talking about the |
| when he'll pass gas or say something really | | | | pagan celebrations or the religious ones. |
| outrageous, both of which he does loudly. | | | | They are all made up. Not much sense in |
| | | | fighting, or fretting, over any of them if |
| On the one hand, we all have some gleeful | | | | you ask me. |
| anticipation of the season - the silly and | | | | |
| heart-warming movies and TV specials, the | | | | No One Has Taken The Christ Out Of Christmas. |
| decorations, kids singing carols at the mall | | | | He's still there if you want Him to be, but |
| and all those paid days off. And on the | | | | it never has been His private domain. What's |
| other hand, many of us dread the pressure and | | | | the problem? The Church snaked on the pagans |
| pace of Christmas cards, shopping, the | | | | to begin with, and it was a pretty successful |
| crowds, and ultimately (gulp) the obligatory | | | | strategy. Today, more people around the |
| family gatherings. | | | | world practice the Christian traditions than |
| | | | ever before. Isn't that enough? Remember, |
| This social psychosis complicates the season | | | | the Romans tried for about 1,000 years to |
| enough, but when you add in the rhetoric from | | | | make Christmas a purely Christian holiday and |
| the religious community The War on | | | | all they did was divide and antagonize the |
| Christmas, Jesus is the Reason for the | | | | millions of people for whom it means |
| Season, etc. you introduce even deeper | | | | something different. Don't make the mistake |
| layers of self-condemnation and anxiety. | | | | that old Cromwell made. Go ahead and have it |
| What to do, what to do? | | | | your way, it's a beautiful tradition. But, |
| | | | let everyone else enjoy it their way. |
| A good starting point is to unravel the | | | | |
| multi-layered hairball of traditions and | | | | Yes, Christmas Is Also About the Money. And |
| religious implications that have come to | | | | for those who shake their heads with disgust |
| define Christmas. Like most of our modern | | | | about the commercialization of it, you guys |
| heritage, there's more to this kaleidoscopic | | | | need a quick reality check. Christmas |
| than meets the eye. Once we can see what all | | | | shopping is the single most significant |
| is going on, then maybe we can bring some | | | | economic cycle in America. Hundreds of |
| sanity and fun to the celebration of it. | | | | thousands of businesses rely on if for their |
| | | | very existence. From a commercial health |
| The History of Christmas. Actually, we're | | | | point of view, if it didn't already exist, |
| talking about the History of the Winter | | | | someone would need to invent it. The money |
| Solstice celebrations, which date back over | | | | that gets spent around Christmas, for |
| 4000 years. Most of our "Christmas | | | | everything from twinkley little lights to |
| traditions" were originally rituals | | | | airline tickets and pretty new cars is the |
| celebrated centuries before Christ was born. | | | | fuel that keeps our economy plugging along |
| The giving of gifts, carnivals, parades, | | | | all year. Forget the new homes, it's the |
| carolers going from house to house, holiday | | | | HUNDREDS OF BILLIONS of dollars spent at |
| feasts, and church performances can all be | | | | Christmas that keep America economically |
| traced back to the early Mesopotamians (1500 | | | | strong. |
| BC). | | | | |
| | | | Christmas has a huge positive impact on other |
| Persians, Babylonians, Scandinavians, Greeks, | | | | aspects of our culture. People are nicer and |
| Romans and Egyptians all had elaborate | | | | more tolerant. There have been truces and |
| rituals that were celebrated at the Winter | | | | cease fire's called during times of war for |
| Solstice intended to pay tribute to the | | | | the sake of Christmas. More than half the |
| mythological importance of the sun and to the | | | | charitable donations collected for ALL |
| perennial cycles of nature. But, don't be | | | | organizations in the US roll in during the |
| too quick to dismiss the ancient traditions | | | | Christmas season. Yes, I know, some of that |
| as being simply pagan rituals. In fact, they | | | | has to do with end of year tax breaks, but it |
| were VERY spiritually oriented. | | | | also has to do with Salvation Army red |
| | | | kettles, angle trees, and Goodwill donations. |
| It is true that the peoples that populated | | | | It's a time of year when people feel a |
| what is now the Middle East 3000 years before | | | | greater sense of social conscience and |
| Christ were polytheistic they had numerous | | | | charitable organizations benefit from that |
| gods. But they were also VERY religious. A | | | | feeling of good will. Too bad we don't pony |
| large part of their culture was focused on | | | | up all year through the way we do at |
| seeking to learn the will of the gods, and | | | | Christmas. |
| the early Winter Solstice traditions | | | | |
| reflected that focus. The Romans decked the | | | | What's wrong with people paying more |
| halls with holly and candles as a tribute to | | | | attention to each other, or with being |
| one of their most powerful gods, Apollo. The | | | | delighted by the decorations and the music? |
| Scandinavians built huge bonfires and held | | | | Let's cover our yards with blow up Santas and |
| feasts that lasted for days as a way to help | | | | mechanical reindeer. Let's turn our living |
| their sun-god defeat the power of darkness. | | | | rooms into little magical wonderlands of |
| These bonfires and feasts are the beginnings | | | | jolly old elves and candles and angels. |
| of our famous "Yule" log - the "12 days of | | | | Maybe if we spent more time getting in touch |
| Yuletide" was a lengthy ceremony which | | | | with the kid in ourselves we wouldn't have so |
| heralded the power of their gods over the | | | | much interest in polluting the planet and |
| domain of evil. | | | | killing people who have different political |
| | | | or religious views than we do. Who cares why |
| These beautiful ceremonies and ancient | | | | we have this expanded consciousness of good |
| traditions all sought to do what our modern | | | | will? Whether it comes from a belief in a |
| Christian traditions now do celebrate the | | | | particular God (or gods) or whether it is |
| dominion of the supernatural forces of the | | | | simply a willingness to open ourselves up to |
| cosmos over the earthly world of man. They | | | | the most benevolent parts of our nature, what |
| sought to honor their gods, and sometimes | | | | difference does it make? IT'S ALL MADE UP! |
| even assist them, in the ongoing battle over | | | | Anything that elevates man's humanity to man |
| darkness. | | | | is a GOOD thing, no matter where it comes |
| | | | from! |
| So, Who Put The "Christ" In Christmas In the | | | | |
| First Place? Well, now, that's an | | | | Now, about that family stuff. I know it can |
| interesting, and not fully complete, | | | | be a pain in the ass. But, you know what? |
| historical detective story. The most popular | | | | At some core level, we all long for a |
| conclusion by archeologists, biblical | | | | connection to our roots and our past. Is it |
| scholars and anthropologists, is that the | | | | so much to ask of ourselves to set aside our |
| pagan traditions were co-opted by the early | | | | electro-media-stimulus-fast |
| Christian Church. In the first three hundred | | | | paced-gotta-pay-the-rent-on-the-beach-condo-s |
| years after the death of Christ, there was no | | | | omebody-please-entertain-me addiction to the |
| prescribed "feast" for the occasion of | | | | very things that destroy the peace and |
| Christ's birth. This was partly because no | | | | harmony in our lives? C'mon, you've got 364 |
| one actually knew when or where Christ was | | | | other days that you can obsess over getting |
| born and partly because the major Christian | | | | ahead and being good enough and worrying |
| celebration was the Crucifixion and | | | | about every little ounce you put on this |
| Resurrection. Some local monasteries and | | | | year. You can afford to spend a fraction of |
| churches had their own "birthday" | | | | your oh-so-important agenda getting in touch |
| celebrations at different times of the year, | | | | with your bloodline. Even if they're all |
| but it wasn't until the mid-4th Century AD | | | | intolerable ass-holes, so what? Practice |
| that Christ's birth became an official | | | | forgiveness and acceptance. |
| celebration, complete with a specific date. | | | | |
| | | | If you don't want to send Christmas cards, |
| Why did it happen then? Getting the diverse | | | | don't. The mailman will love you. The way I |
| peoples of the Roman empire to reject their | | | | see it, anyone who keeps a check-list of who |
| historical religions and raucous merriment in | | | | sent Christmas cards and then makes some kind |
| favor of the official religion of | | | | of judgment about it needs to get a real |
| Christianity (so decreed in 350 AD) was no | | | | life. And as for all that pressure to buy |
| easy matter. Grudgingly, but inevitably, the | | | | gifts… GET OVER IT! It isn't going to |
| church accepted the perennial revelry of its | | | | kill you to get off your butt and think about |
| diverse citizenry (pagan though it was) and | | | | other peoples delight. And speaking of |
| wisely decided to include those celebrations | | | | butts, it isn't going to kill you to stop |
| for their own agenda. In what many | | | | kissing those of people you don't really want |
| historians consider to be a stroke of public | | | | to buy gifts for but do. Buy gifts for |
| relations genius, in 320 AD, Pope Julius I | | | | people you want to buy them for and be as |
| proclaimed that the pagan celebration of the | | | | generous as you want to be. If you don't |
| December 25th "Festival of the Sun" (Natalis | | | | want to buy a gift, don't. Sometimes it may |
| Invicti, i.e. "The Nativity" ) would | | | | be appropriate to make some type of gesture, |
| henceforth also celebrate the Birth of Christ | | | | but there are LOTS of things you can do other |
| - ta da! Enter the Official Birth Day of | | | | than buy the latest electronic gadget or |
| Christ. | | | | such. Flowers, plants, candy or fruit work |
| | | | great. And you can always make a donation to |
| According to the Catholic Encyclopedia The | | | | YOUR favorite charity in the other person's |
| Advent, by 402 AD the "Feast of the Birth of | | | | name. The No. 1 Rule is to have fun with |
| Christ" (the new interpretation of The | | | | your gift buying and put some personal |
| Nativity) was practiced through out the Holy | | | | thought into it. The No. 2 Rule is NO |
| Roman Empire. The Nativity scene itself (you | | | | SUFFERING ALLOWED! (By the way, if you |
| know, the livestock, the stable, etc.) didn't | | | | happen to think that books make a nice |
| emerge for another 800 years. In 1223, St | | | | Christmas gift, then I've got a great one for |
| Francis of Assisi originated the manger scene | | | | you. Check out my book at "Your |
| based on his interpretation of some | | | | MEGAgiNormous Rules .) |
| little-known ecclesiastical customs. | | | | |
| Somewhere around this time, the donkey that | | | | The "Time" Complaint. Not enough time, too |
| Mary rode to Bethlehem emerged as a character | | | | much to do, blah, blah, blah. Look here, if |
| in the Nativity. | | | | you don't have enough time to have fun at |
| | | | Christmas you're just confused about what's |
| But, from its inception, there was dissension | | | | important. I'm pretty sure that when you're |
| within the Church about Christmas | | | | lying on your deathbed one of the things you |
| celebrations. For centuries, many | | | | WON'T be saying is "Gee, I wish I'd spent |
| conservative church leaders condemned the | | | | more time at the office and less time |
| revelry and aggressively criticized the | | | | enjoying Christmas." There are 525,600 |
| endorsement of the sun-worshippers | | | | minutes in a year, only about 1500 of which |
| traditions. When the Orthodox pilgrims | | | | get devoted to really enjoying Christmas. |
| migrated to the Americas in 1620, Christmas | | | | What, are you crazy? Surely you can fit your |
| revelry and symbolism were outlawed. Back in | | | | hectic life into the other 524,000 minutes. |
| England in 1645, Oliver Cromwell and his | | | | |
| Puritans succeeded in outlawing "the heathen | | | | Christmas is too big to be confined to any |
| traditions" of Christmas celebrations | | | | single ideology. It belongs to all people |
| throughout England. When Charles II returned | | | | and to all of history. It has endured for |
| to the English throne in 1660, he restored | | | | thousands of years because it brings people |
| the popular holiday, but the custom had only | | | | together and celebrates hope and renewal. |
| scattered endorsement throughout the American | | | | It's an excellent time of year that gives us |
| colonies. After the Revolutionary War, many | | | | permission to transcend our normal petty |
| English customs, including the celebration of | | | | natures. We get to be kind and gentle, and |
| Christmas, fell out of favor entirely and | | | | care about others and do little things that |
| didn't begin to re-emerge in the United State | | | | let those others know we care. We get to |
| until the 1800s. | | | | have fun, darn it! What, your life is so |
| | | | full of fun you can't stand anymore? |
| When Americans did finally begin to embrace | | | | |
| Christmas as a family holiday, old customs | | | | Stop fretting over what you perceive is wrong |
| were unearthed. In the next 100 years, | | | | with it. It's just stupid to turn it into a |
| Americans built a Christmas tradition all | | | | conflict or some type of litmus test that |
| their own that included pieces of many other | | | | only serves to divide us. Take what you like |
| customs, including decorating trees, sending | | | | from it and leave the rest. And let others |
| holiday cards, gift-giving and the early | | | | enjoy it in their own way. There's something |
| Christian traditions and stories. In 1836, | | | | for everyone in Christmas. It truly is the |
| Alabama became the first state in the US to | | | | most wonderful time of the year, it we just |
| declare Christmas a legal holiday, but it | | | | allow it to be. Have a holly jolly one! |
| wasn't until 1907 that Oklahoma finally | | | | |