Christmas

I like Christmas; I like the fact we have a summer Christmas and you never know what the weather will be like - hot as anything, or even cold enough for a fire.  I like the fact that there are Christmas Carols and that churches have their nativity plays with small children who probably don't know much about Jesus other than he was born in a manger and if they're lucky they might get to be one of the Wise Men.  Best of all, I like the fact that we continue to celebrate the birth of one person in the world whose name is known everywhere - whether it's taken in vain, or not.  One person who has somehow made an impression lasting enough to still make people think about life, about themselves, and make a decision based on the values Jesus taught.

Obviously not everyone will think like this, and that's ok too.  But I do miss the sense of purpose around the season.  That has now morphed into a sense of commercialised panic.  Here, in New Zealand, Christmas songs are still American songs about jingle bells, snow, white Christmas, and so on.  How I hate that.  Even the national radio plays these ridiculous songs.  Why can they not play our own songs of Christmas?  Why the American drivel?  And don't get me started on the "happy holiday" greetings!  Here's a country - America - who is basically fundamentally Christian; they pray all the time, they worship, go to church, and are more religious as a community than New Zealand will ever be, and yet they cannot bring themselves to accept "Merry Christmas" as a greeting... it has to be so politically correct as to try not to offend those who do not celebrate Christmas!  I don't care whether others celebrate Christmas or not - I do care that my greeting of goodwill, peace, and joy, gets totally rubbed out and dumbed down to "happy holidays"!!  If someone greeted me with "Happy Hanuka" or any other kind of greeting, I'd be really chuffed!

Anyway, it's not a time to gripe.  So I shall put that to one side, and to anyone anywhere who ever might read this blog - and judging by the stats there might on the odd occasion, possibly, be one person in the world - I do wish you a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year, and all that it means.