Leaving Christmas in Christmas...

I can remember when I was a little girl how furious my mother became when she saw "xmas" on anything. She would continue walking around the store ranting (much to my embarrassment) about how there was a reason the word "Christ" was in Christmas and to leave it out was blasphemy and a reason for outrage. At the time, nearly 30 years ago, I thought she was over-reacting just a bit. I mean, c'mon, who could be upset at the word "Christmas"? It's not like people didnt know what the "x" meant.

I was wrong.

Today, it's everywhere or I should say it's NOT everywhere. In New Jersey, there are billboards declaring the entire holiday is a myth. In Philadelphia, the German Christmas Village is now the German Holiday Village because neighbors and a "few workers" complained. Schools are no longer allowed to sing O Holy Night or O Little Town of Bethlehem or even Silent Night in their Holiday concerts. The nativity scene is not permitted on city/state/federal properties and many offices "discourage" the display of anything but secular decorations. Even at my workplace, there are no more "Secret Santas" and the Christmas party became the "Holiday Party" then it became the "Annual Event" and is held in June.

Yes, yes, I know. Christmas is a Pagan holiday and was before Christ was born. Yule was stolen by the Christians so that they could ease the pagans into Christianity by using established "holidays" as their own. The same thing happened with Easter (Ostara) and Hallowe'en (All Hallows Eve). It wasnt right to usurp the existing holiday and make up Christian reasons for the decorations (Christmas Tree, yule log, gifts, etc). But it happened and is now so woven in our framework that I dont think it can or should be separated again.

In this Golden Era (turn on Sarcasm font) of Political Correctness, I think we're going too far. No one is forcing you to celebrate Christmas. If you dont, if you're Jewish and celebrate Hanukkah, or you celebrate Kwanzaa, or if you are and celebrate something else or you are an atheist and just like getting gifts, no one is forcing you to participate in Christmas. Yes, the decorations and songs and imagery are everywhere, but so are the symbols of other seasonal celebrations but this one is ours. I dont see anyone taking down other decorations or preventing them and saying, "Sorry, you might offend someone with your menorah" or the symbols of any other religious holiday for this time of year (mostly because without googling, I cant think of specific ones). It seems to me that only the religious symbols of Christianity are forbidden... to the point that we cant even call it Christmas without worrying that we'll be offending someone.

So, before I just start ranting without making sense or start repeating myself...

Yes, Virginia... there IS a Christmas. It lives in the heart and soul of everyone who remembers it. It lives in mine. And NO ONE can take that away from me unless I let them.

So MERRY CHRISTMAS!!