Letters to the Editor
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Imagine dissing a non-Christian holiday this way...
Imagine hearing or reading, "If I see one more freakin' menorah, I'm gonna smack someone." No one would interpret that as anything but anti-Semitism. Yet people feel free to whack Christmas up one side and down the other. In fact, it's fashionable to do so. But you know what? It's every bit as bigoted and narrow-minded.
I love Christmas for reasons that have nothing to do with religion. I love watching "A Christmas Carol" -- the Alastair Sim version -- with my husband and my Mom. Ditto "A Charlie Brown Christmas" and the Grinch, which remind me of my childhood and all the people who are now gone. There is nothing in these shows that anyone with a kind heart, regardless of their religion, cannot appreciate.
I love Christmas carols, which speak of joy and goodwill toward all and peace on earth. My favorite is "It Came Upon A Midnight Clear," the lyrics of which are truly beautiful. If there is anyone who cannot identify with lyrics such as, "for lo, the days are hastening on," I have yet to meet them. To me, that says, cling to your loved ones and appreciate them, and revel in this warm season in the midst of the cold, while you can.
If you have a chip on your shoulder about Christmas, or about any holiday of any religion that promotes good will, kindness, charity and peace on earth, you need to do a bit of soul-searching about what your real motives and prejudices are, and you need to open your heart to traditions that may not be familiar to you but that are worthy of respect or at least of tolerance. The fault lies not in the Christmas star, but in yourselves.