Holiday Season

Okay, I love the holidays because they are filled with food and booze.

I guess there is some religious component or some family crap or something too.

Actually, I love the family component. I enjoy getting together with family and friends over the holidays and playing games or just laughing. Religion - whatever. There isn't much about any of these holidays that has to do with religion anymore.

One of the controversies in the town I teach in involves a nativity scene on government property. I guess some anonymous donor brought the nativity scene to the town hall under dark of night. Then they wondered why people were pissed. Um, in this day and age, why on earth would you think it okay to display any kind of religious anything on government property? Are you kidding? Obviously, if you brought the display in at night, anonymously, you had to expect some sort of controversy. What morons.

I also get a kick out of the Wiccan pentacle on display. The pentacle is hardly a symbol of the season, rather it is a symbol similar to a Christian cross. It is used yearround as symbol of our connection to earth, air, fire, water and ether. Yes, it is important at Christmas, rather Winter Solstice, but it is also important for the other three solstices, full moons, etc.

Something else about Christmas that gets me. I understand people get and give presents, but isn't it getting a bit out of hand? Each year we participate in a giving tree, of sorts. We each buy a gift for an underpriveleged child. I love that I am helping out, truly. I think it is wonderful to know that someone will have a better Christmas morning opening a gift and that I had something to do with it.

But why should it be that way? Why should we be embracing a society that does nothing more than widen the chasm between the haves and have-nots? These poor kids don't stand a chance. They want because their peers want. Their parents want to give because they love them.

Could we be better?

My siblings and several friends have foregone presents this year in favor of dinner together or nothing. Instead of spending money on needless things, we will spend time together. Isn't that more precious? We still get presents for the kids. It's tougher to convince them to forgo gifts. Not having children, it's tough for me to emphasize that we should donate our time or donate toys and such we no longer use nor need. That we should boycott dolls dressed as hos (Bratz).

One day.

But what would become of capitalism?