Happy Everything! Now, Get Over It!

'Tis the season...and all that, you know. Merry Christmas. Happy Hanukkah. Blessed Yule. Happy Kwanzaa. Happy Boxing Day. Happy Holidays. All of this talk about 'the war of Christmas' is driving me up a wall, and back down the next one! Give it up already people! Can't we all just be merry, bright and joyful during the holiday season? Is it really necessary for people to get so down, glum and stressed out that they've managed to make this time of the year one of the busiest times for the Suicide Prevention Hot line people? Does anyone truly need to know the exact date, location and time of some one's birth, that took place over 2,000 years ago? If you do figure this information out, then what? You'll have a boosted ego? You'll feel more secure in the discussions you have on a social media outlet? What? What is it that makes people feel the absolute need to 'get it right' when it comes to the winter holiday times....or any holidays, for that matter? Is anyone going to keel over from heart failure if they hear anything other than 'Merry Christmas'? Furthermore, is anyone going to keel over if they hear anything other than 'Happy Holidays'? Are those words seriously so unnerving that people have to waste so much time, and energy, arguing over it? My answer? NO!! STOP THAT!

    It is common knowledge that Jesus was most likely not born anywhere near the time of the year that we now understand to be 'December'. It is also common knowledge that many modern day Christian holiday traditions were adopted from various other cultures, ranging from Germany to Ireland, and back again. The holly, the yule log, the hanging of boughs along doorways, and, the singing of carols are all adopted from Pagan customs. The first mention of a tree being decorated, as well as Santa Claus, comes from Germany and Greece. Church services, Advent and the nativity scenes are derived from Christian practices, that mainly took place in Jerusalem, Europe and the U.K.. It's not really necessary for everyone to try and pin point every single last detail of any, or all, winter holiday celebrations into one mass labeled grouping. It just isn't. It's a collective, and let's just enjoy it, and leave it at that.

Most modern societies have people within them that firmly, and absolutely, believe with all their hearts and souls that their particular way of celebrating the winter holidays has been around for centuries, upon centuries, until the end of time....and that's how it is, because that's how they have always celebrated the holiday, even if they can't stand the 1,000 year old fruit cake. Unfortunately, most of modern society is wrong. One thing, I must say, that does 'irk' me a bit, is the little modern saying of: 'Keep Christ in Christmas'. Bollocks! That's arrogant, and, at the very least, flat out stupid. Anyone with half a brain understands that the letter 'X', in Greek, means 'Chi', which means 'Christ'. So all you nay sayers out there can stuff that little saying of yours in a Xmas stocking, and throw it on the Yule log where it belongs. Another thing that gets me miffed is when someone gets the over whelming urge to say something along the lines of: 'It's Merry Christmas, not Happy Holidays'. I call bullshit on this as well.

  Here's why. Happy Holidays, and Merry Christmas, mean exactly the same thing. It doesn't matter if you use it as a greeting, a parting, or within the structure of a sentence. You're simply wishing someone a joyful holiday season. If this mess keeps up, the next thing you'll know, we'll having one nation invade another simply because the government of one nation decided to wish the other nation a "Blessed Holiday Season". It's getting to be THAT ridiculous. Also, for all of you die-hard, 'neo-pagan', wannabe-an-elder-so-you-fake-being-smart folks: If you want to come across as actually knowing what you're talking about, stop preaching at the top of your lungs about what was 'taken', 'borrowed' or 'stolen' from ancient Pagan winter celebrations, that you were never there for to begin with. What you can do, is start learning to accept the fact that not every human on this planet is a Pagan, nor will they ever be....nor have they ever been.

If you want to be a die-hard neo-pagan, put up an artificial tree in your home, and decorate a living tree in your yard. You know, like your ancestors did. Trees are sacred to Pagans. We didn't chop them down, drag them into the house, throw some plastic and glass ornaments on them, light them up like Time's Square on New Year's Eve and start throwing a bunch of mass produced plastic and electronic crap all around the base of the tree. Sure, some of us have real trees. I have a real tree. Then again, I'm in no area that allows me to do a traditional Pagan tree celebration. I have no yard, and the only live tree I have, is in a 10 inch planter pot until it can go in the ground next year. To top that off, it's a Japanese Maple tree, that couldn't hold anything other than a dainty paper ornament, which would fall off during the first rain storm that hit the area. I get it. Really, I do. My point, is that if you want to tell other people what is, and is not, an 'original Pagan holiday tradition', know what you're talking about first, and then start practicing what you preach. Otherwise, let sleeping dogs lie under the mistletoe, and let everyone just enjoy the holidays.

   How about we all just stop judging the snots out of everything, and start giving a little bit more. Pagans are not selfish. The word 'giving', to a Pagan, doesn't mean that it's always going to be in a box, that's wrapped up in fancy paper, with glorious bows and ribbons all over the place. It means giving of yourself. Your time. Your talents. Your energies. You know that homeless person on the street corner, or in the park? How about giving that person a couple of home made cookies, and a cup of hot chocolate, coffee or tea? How about donating some of your unwanted clothing to people who can really use them, instead of just throwing them away, shoving them in a box, or shipping them off to a thrift store. Although a thrift store is a great option, there are some people who aren't able to shop at one, because even there, the prices are too high. So really, when it comes to the Winter holiday times, do yourself, and everyone around you, a huge favor. Enjoy the time. Be happy. You know... deck the halls, joy to the world, let there be peace, and all that. And, if that person in front of you takes the parking space you've been patiently waiting for....instead of honking your horn and getting all bent out of shape, keep your actions to yourself. It just might be that the other person has had an equally stressed out day, and just wasn't thinking clearly. Hey, maybe...just maybe...that person could use a hot cup of coffee, or tea, and to hear a sincere "Merry Christmas".