Let It Begin With Me

It's beginning to look a lot like the hap-happiest time of the year again. The traditional pre-Christmas e-mails have started showing up in my mailbox, I'm sure you've gotten them too, perhaps you've forwarded them to others. At first I find myself angry, but now, I've decided to just laugh.

I'm sure everyone with e-mail has received them. They use HUGE FONTS and bright colours. The subject line is often something like this ...

Fwd: Fwd: Re: [insert something pious, self-righteous and/or patriotic]

They often start off with something about our great country, (either Canada or USA). Then they mindlessly rant about people from other countries and other cultures coming here and insisting we change our way of life. They determinedly spew "our" right to "our" religious beliefs. They piously call themselves Christian, and go on to point out that they are having their religion taken away by these horrible heritage-sucking immigrants. The message is most often about calling a Christmas Tree a Holiday Tree, or a Family Tree or saying "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas".

Well so what. People the world over have had celebrations at this time of the year for thousands of years.

As far as Christmas trees go, they predate the Christian era. They were called Paradise Trees in the middle ages, when on Dec 24th people celebrated with the Feast of Adam & Eve. Ancient people hung evergreen boughs over their doors and windows as they believed this would protect their family against witches, ghosts, evil spirits, and illness. There have been people living on this continent for thousands of years who never said "Merry Christmas". It is each person's right to celebrate as they choose. If retailers choose to market to those other than Christmas shoppers, so be it.

So let me take this opportunity to wish you and yours peace, health and happiness, now and throughout the year. Whether you celebrate the Winter Solstice, Christmas, Kwanzaa, Chanukkah, and/or Ramadan or anything else, I respect your right to do so.

I will celebrate the Winter Solstice in the beautiful, snow-covered forest in which I live, I will decorate my house with a "Christmas Tree" and spend Christmas Day enjoying my family, exchanging gifts and over-eating.

Meanwhile, I wish you a Blessed Yule, Merry Christmas, Joyful Kwanzaa, Happy Chanukkah, Blessed Ramadan or to sum it all up, Happy Holidays, whatever and wherever they may be.

Feel free to copy this post and send it to everyone in your mailbox with the subject line "Let It Begin With Me".

HAPPY HOLIDAYS