You Say Xmas; I Say Christmas, Let's Call the Whole Thing Off!

Well, at least I am not alone folks, up until this very moment I was
feeling like maybe I was the only one missing the Christmas feeling. I
can't find it, like I used too, and if I do I feel guilty that I might
be offending someone who doesn't celebrate it. Then, I read this story
from a fellow writer and it renewed my faith in this thing we call the
holiday season, Christmas. It is from a writer by the name of,
John Lillpop and he wrote a story called: Merry X-Mas? Not in My
House! And it talks about the word, Christmas and its use, or better
yet, extinction of. You know, how we have totally unwrapped it and re
wrapped it in a shiny, flashy, commercial wrapper, with branding from
all the major sponsors of the holiday season like (insert your
favorite stores here:). The whole idea of his angle is, as a person of
faith and growing up at a time where tradition was stronger than
commercialism; he seems to think that the Christmas part of Christmas
has lost the CHRIST part, and I agree with him, well in a
non-religious way.
Now, if you remember the comments I did a week or so back, well even
if you don't I will tell you about them. I talked about the fact
that people don't want to say Merry Christmas because it may offend
those that are not of that faith. We now say Happy Holiday and that
way it encompasses any and all that fall to celebrate in that period
of the season.

John Lillpop grew up in the 50'²s and some of the best Christmas music
and movies came from that time. I wish for the sake of seeing what
did happen back then, that I was alive at that time. I grew up in the
70'²s and what I can tell you was the magic of Christmas rang through
my home, BUT not in a baby Jesus sort of way. My father was a VERY
NON-religious type of person. However, our Christmases were filled
with lots of lights and decorations all over the inside and outside
of our home. Come to think of it, back then, it seemed like every
house on your block and every house in the city you lived in was decked
out to the nines; that is just what folks did.
Now mind you, I lived in the Chicago suburbs and we did get a lot of
snow, which gives you a really good head start when it comes to setting
the scene. But all the same, it is what we did for the season, no
questions asked. Now, I think John and I are saying the same thing.
THE SPIRIT of Christmas is being shoveled away and replaced with a
commercialized balling, fling, holiday season and the only thing left
that is joyous and merry is the drink that Starbucks has produced with
eggnog and Mac Donald's holiday happy meals.

In the past 20 years or so, the big retailers have convinced us that
Christmas is really just the best shopping time of the year and it is.
They created it, marketed it as that. They replaced HO HO HO with a
sale sale sale. I remember the first time I saw that Good Will
replaced the bell ringing Santa, I was devastated and every since then
I have told the bell ringers that if you would dress up like Santa I
would give you a hundred dollars. They just give me an odd look.

No Santa, no Christ, and no real reason we recognize the season, other
than to buy and go into debt. The next time you are out say, "Happy
holidays", to a few folks and see what they say. Let me know what you come
up with. Most of the time it will be a grunt or an uncomfortable nod
of the head from both parties involved. Why do we have this holiday?
My birthday comes '" I turn one year older, my anniversary comes '" I
celebrate the date we met, Christmas comes '" hmmm what am I
celebrating?
Well, if I am religious, I celebrate Christ being born. If I don't, I
guess I am hoping Santa will come. No, we don't believe in him
anymore. I know, it is America, we all have the right to celebrate
what Christmas means to us. I am just getting confused; what should I
call my Christmas tree? Christmas has been a part of our country for
hundreds of years; I mean the modern day Christmas, not back in the
manger thousands a years ago Christmas. You know Bing Crosby, "White
Christmas", making snowmen; over decorating, wearing Santa hats -- we
are missing the reason for the season. The spirit.

We are so guarded now with what we say that we are really saying
nothing. It is so bad that if you sing the song "White Christmas" you
run the risk of offending anyone who isn't white, so should we say
Caucasian? Can't say Christmas it has to be holiday, so the sound
becomes Caucasian holiday, "I am dreaming of a Caucasian holiday?"
Hmmmm, all of the songs we sing and love to sing as part of the season
all have the use of that word, with a few exceptions.
Do you think we can just go back to the way it used to be? I want to be
able to say, "Merry Christmas", without someone staring at me as if I just
told them their mother is ugly. I am not defending religious folks; I
am defending tradition and culture.

Now, I know I will probably get emails on this one telling me that I
am not respecting folk's beliefs. I hope, whatever you believe in your
heart when you say, "Merry Christmas", is always going to be in your heart
and will never change. But if I want to dispute this, you are really
just proving my point. So Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all
and to all a good night.

'"
Will Roberts
"The Good Will Tour"
Www.Twitter.com/WillRogersUSA
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