Tomorrow is Christmas Eve, and my last day of work until 4 January 2010. Christmas is here and is causing controversy as usual.With all of the bad things we hear about throughout the year, I have to admit that I cast a weary eye when I see a child sitting on a man's lap, even if that man is Santa. The problem is that we often hear about bad things being done by people we trust, and I think it makes us all a bit cynical and skeptical.
There are also issues with the words "Merry Christmas" and even Santa's involvement in Christmas. I saw a thing on the news last night where a Catholic school have set up a mini Bethlehem so that people can come along and see what life would have been like in Bible times. When asked why they were doing this, a small boy said "to remove Santa from Christmas". The problem is that while Christmas has become commercialised, with Santa being the main purveyor of toys, the traditional Kris Kringle/St Nicholas character is just as big a part of some peoples traditions as the Birth of Jesus is in others.
Then there is a town council who have removed their "Seasons Greetings" signs and replaced them with "Merry Christmas" signs because they wanted to bring "Christmas" back to the holiday season. But what about the many people who are not Christian? I for one do not consider myself to be Christian, and I wish people "Happy Holidays" rather than force a particular religion on them. However when talking with friends we always refer to Christmas, and I still expect to receive gifts! It is a very interesting and complex situation.
So Happy Holidays!! Enjoy the festive season and stay safe.
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