Happy Holy Days

The following italicized print is a letter to the editor that was originally published in

our local newspaper on December 7, 2005. The archives are only available to subscribers of the newspaper, so I am reprinting it here so that my words that follow make some sense.



"The TV news is full of stories where companies this year supposedly are unable to say “Merry Christmas.�? Hopefully that will not happen in the Sandhills.

An amusing report on TV stated one entity was wishing the public “Merry Winter.�? Good grief! Beam me up! No more nativity scenes, no Merry Christmas, maybe no more “in God we trust�? — this trend started long ago, and is unstoppable, may God help us all.

If this trend continues expect an insurgency movement in the U.S. by Christians. I’ll be glad to sign up for that. And, by the way, thank God for George Bush, a president with backbone."

_________

Maia's Opinion:

I hope {name edited} is right; that people in the Sandhills will not be unable to say "Merry Christmas". Christmas is an important time of year for Christians. However, I also hope that they will be able to graciously accept that more and more Sandhills residents celebrate winter holidays other than Christmas. I hope to see those very same folks being able to smile happily at their neighbors, wishing them a Happy Hannukah, which this year begins at sundown on Dec. 25, which means that at least this year my Jewish friends get a least part of their holiday off from work like my Christian friends.

If you can't bring yourself to try and wrap your mouth around a word as unfamiliar as "Hannukah", try "Holiday". After all, it means "Holy-day", and that's what Christmas, and Hannukah, and a raft of other days off from work are about.

Having grown up in a more religiously diverse area, I understand that "Happy Holidays" means what it says - "Happy HOLY-days". Don't be offended if someone wishes you Happy Holidays! Graciously accept, smile, and say thank you.

I'm sorry to see {name edited} wish to be "beamed up". I suppose he is looking for that mythic Christian nation I keep hearing about. Good luck - if you find it, and if you decide to go, well, those of us here in the diverse USA will miss you, but will understand your decision to go.

Happy Holidays.

____________

I was delighted to see that my letter, some what edited, was published in the paper. Of course, it was published on the same day that someone else wrote a "Happy Birthday, Jesus Letter", that asked that their Lord and Savior made sure that those of us who didn't recognize His Holy Birth saw the error of our ways and would just give up our heathen ways and begin to wish the Christians in this town a Merry Christmas, and just suck it up when someone insisted that the other holidays just didn't matter. In my letter, I only mentioned Hannukah (which I am never quite sure how to spell, so please forgive me if I've messed it up.)

I didn't mention those of us who gathered on a farm out in the middle of noplace (but trust me, it was some place!) to celebrate the winter solstice, the changing of the season, the birth of the light. It was a huge potluck dinner, a bonfire, drum circle, and folks from all walks of life. It was c-o-l-d, at least for this part of North Carolina. The age range was from about 12 to nearly 80. I have no idea what the religious persuasion of all of the people were. I know that there were some church going people, and I know that there were some who identify as pagan. To stand around the bonfire, and share our hopes for the coming year, to feel the community of like-minded "tree-huggers" was certainly a holy experience for me, and one of the best part of my "holidays".

It made me think about what it must have been like before there were electric christmas lights, and before there was Wal-Mart and Target employees who weren't allowed to say Merry Christmas. The Winter Solstice is the longest night of the year; after that, the days get longer. The light returns. It was a cause for celebration, because the people knew that spring was on its way, and with the light would come warmth, and new growth. The lambs and calfs would be born, the children would once again run and play outside, the older folks' bones wouldn't ache quite so badly, and, God willing, a good crop would grow and guarantee survival for another year.

So Welcome Light.

Happy Holy Days.