Since when does the Christmas season start on November 1st? Whose idea was it to assault us with Christmas icons and music for over 8 weeks? I say 8 weeks because the Christmas exploitation goes past the holiday itself into some vague post-New Year moment. Growing up, everyone I knew looked forward to the day after Thanksgiving as the signal to start the race towards St Nick’s arrival. The day after Thanksgiving, now commonly known as Black Friday, is seen now not so much as the beginning of a countdown to a special day, but, instead, as a moment to promote endless sales. The use of the term Black Friday itself is sinister, because its original connotation was connected to the stock market crash of 1929 that set the Great Depression in motion. I see stores all over using the term to induce customers in for savings, oblivious to its overt connections to a darker time in American history. The irony here is that we are poised to enter an age which will be much more harrowing than the Great Depression ever was.
I, for one, do not like the use of the term X-mas as a replacement for Christmas. A friend of mine named Christian wrote me recently, asking me where I would be for X-mas. I chastised him for removing the name Christ from the holiday, and he was quick to realize that he did not shorten his name, so why was he unwittingly shortening the name of the holiday?
As mentioned here before, the word Christ means Love. Christmas defined correctly therefore means Love Mass. When a person substitutes X-mas for Christmas, they turn a Love Mass into an X Mass. “What the heck is an X Mass?”, you might ask. The X I know is associated with negation, as in, crossing something out. Or, it can mean “‘X’ marks the spot.” I don’t think it is a mistake that many are using this distortion of the word Christmas. It has been carefully slipped into our culture by forces that would have you see this holiday as nothing more than a present exchange. Words matter, so be aware of the power of taking Love out of a special holiday. Someone out there wants you to forget that this holiday is connected to Love. Celebrations matter; take the time to reaffirm your faith in Love and family, no matter who you believe in.
I believe all sacred holidays should be observed with deep respect. I celebrate Passover with my friends as well, not only because it honors their tradition, but because it connects me to the path of human history. It brings me closer to God to honor those that I love. Whatever honors God through the path of Love, I am all for, as long as it does not ask me to feel guilty for being human. I don’t do guilt anymore.
The roots of Christmas as a holiday are pagan in nature, and pre-date the birth of Jesus by eons, so there must be something special about the time of late December on Mother Earth. Whether it is the end of the calendar year, or the winter solstice, most religions agree on this time of the year as being very important.
I love the holiday season, but I do not want it shoved down my throat with silly commercials and disrespectful maudlin sentimentality. Christmas has been stolen from us, but not by the hand of the Grinch. The gods of money and shadow seek to turn the sacred into the profane, which shows that, deep down, they fear no judgment from above, because they believe in no God anyway. Or, they must figure that God is as forgiving as He seems while they vomit fake sincerity all over Jesus’ holiday!
OK, so I joke a bit to make my dramatic exit. I believe in my heart that God will forgive us for turning Christmas into X-Mass. God will forgive us for taking a 5 week holiday season, and making it an 8 week one. God will forgive us for forgetting that this holiday celebrates the birth of all of us. God knows better than I do what really matters. He is not as petty as I am. Take down your Christmas trees from your town squares, work – don’t rest – for the double-time pay. Hate that you have to see the in-laws you despise. Plug your ears every time you hear a yuletide classic. Just don’t forget: it’s the most-wonderful-time-of-the-year!!!
God bless you all, and to you a Merry Christmas!!!!
