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