The Problem With Christmas
Christmas is a conundrum for most people. It’s like a rich, octogenarian uncle. You love him, he’s insanely funny and provocative, he gives you really nice presents and just might leave you an Italian villa in his will. But he needs to be taken to the bathroom regularly, requires a lot of attention, is opinionated and makes you absolutely crazy when you have to take him to a fancy cocktail party because you never know when he’ll pass gas or say something really outrageous, both of which he does loudly.
On the one hand, we all have some gleeful anticipation of the season – the silly and heart-warming movies and TV specials, the decorations, kids singing carols at the mall and all those paid days off. And on the other hand, many of us dread the pressure and pace of Christmas cards, shopping, the crowds, and ultimately (gulp) the obligatory family gatherings.
This social psychosis complicates the season enough, but when you add in the rhetoric from the religious community The War on Christmas, Jesus is the Reason for the Season, etc. you introduce even deeper layers of self-condemnation and anxiety. What to do, what to do?
A good starting point is to unravel the multi-layered hairball of traditions and religious implications that have come to define Christmas. Like most of our modern heritage, there’s more to this kaleidoscopic than meets the eye. Once we can see what all is going on, then maybe we can bring some sanity and fun to the celebration of it.
The History of Christmas. Actually, we’re talking about the History of the Winter Solstice celebrations, which date back over 4000 years. Most of our “Christmas traditions” were originally rituals celebrated centuries