The fact is, everyone thinks they know why we celebrate Christmas. And nearly everyone is wrong.
Did you know that early Christians co-opted the Roman holiday of Saturnalia, a time of government-sanctioned, destructive, naked lawlessness? No joke!
And that we have Christmas trees because an ancient cult liked to worship them?
The history of Christmas is as varied and eclectic as the history of America. It’s a blend of lots of different holidays and traditions.
So yeah, there is a “War on Christmas.” And it’s being waged by everyone who wants you to forget that this is a time for embracing all kinds of traditions. The real meaning of Christmas? We all can celebrate together because winter is a challenging and dark time. Everyone needs an excuse for a party.
Whether you’re a Catholic heading out for midnight Mass or a Jew getting ready for a traditional movie-and-Chinese-food Christmas Day, Christmas is a super-inclusive holiday.
The real War on Christmas is being waged by those who want to limit it to Bing Crosby crooning to Baby Jesus.
If that’s all you think Christmas is about, you are missing out. See you under the mistletoe.
Let’s stop the war. Merry Holidays, everyone!
For more on Christmas past, check out this video.
