Holidays -- Christmas

Maybe it's just because I'm not showered in gifts anymore, but I've come to really not like Christmas. What's it all about? "Jesus is the reason for the season." A slogan that used to be plastered all over. But what are we celebrating? It's different with Easter. There's a biblical basis, a command to celebrate, and a timeframe for that celebration. First, because it's easiest, the timeframe. We have no real idea about when Jesus was born. Not only are we completely unable to determine what date, or month -- ours or Jewish, or season -- was he born in spring or the dead of winter or fall, but we can't even determine the year with any certainty. Personally, I have to go with Clement on this one, but I'm partial. On all of the celebrations dictated by God, at least to my knowledge, he tells us when. He also tells us to. Celebrate, that is, he tells us to celebrate, and how. And how to celebrate. There's instruction. Not with Christmas, though. It's no more a spiritual celebration than Thanksgiving. And I'm not knocking Thanksgiving. Now biblical basis. Christ was born. That's about it. But even that isn't so remarkable, at least as births go. Great miracle, conception. If you want to celebrate the power and love of God, it's the conception of Christ you're looking for. We also lack command or time for this one, though. Why not his first miracle or teaching in the temple or calming the storm or being recognized as Messiah in the womb by John, also in the womb or ... Even more importantly, on a Christian basis, Christ says that the current era, what we call the age of grace, began with the time of John the Baptist. Forget Christ being born, the big thing is the transition to the age of grace. That's what's important. John beginning his ministry, and ushering us into this age, celebrate that. It's much more religiously important. Then we wouldn't get so caught up in gifts, and extension of Christ's birth brought to us by three? wise men from Orientar, as the song goes. I can't find Orientar on the ancient maps, though. So what's it all about. Family, good will toward others, stressing out over getting just the right present, or not caring whether it's right or not and just getting something -- after all, it's the thought that counts. And this gift says I gave you a cursory thought. My closing thought on Christmas, the gifts the wise men brought after, probably well after, Jesus' birth had a divine purpose. Those gifts financed the families flight from the authorities. Pull that crap now and yule go to prison.