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| The "Nativity" is a symbol of love and family. |
So what do Jews do on December 25th? Some go out for Chinese and others use this time for a family get together. So there is a celebration of families coming together during this time of year. That's what Christmas should be.
Halloween was brought to America around the 1840s, but origins of Halloween date back to the 5th century BC. People believed that the spirits of the dead would come back and try to inhabit the souls of the living, so they wore scary clothing to hopefully confuse the ghosts and make them believe that they were already dead. Priests would go to the homes of people who had lost relatives and pray for their dead souls in exchange for cakes and other treats.
When we dress up our kids in scary or not so scary costumes and take them around the neighborhood to get sacks full of candy, we have no idea why, we just do it. Why, because it's fun. We don't believe that ghosts are coming to actually get us, do we?
So, if a courthouse uses our tax dollars to buy a witch and a cauldron to put on the town square, how many of us demand that they remove this pagan symbol?
In some states, the river runs green on St. Patrick's Day and just about everyone wears green and we normally get pinched if we don't. Are you telling me that if you saw a shamrock over the door at city hall, you would demand that it be removed?
The first Thanksgiving was a celebration of cooperation and interaction between the colonists and the Native American Indians. There were celebrations conducted by different Indian tribes before 1621, but we seem to have adopted the 1621 event as the first. How many families don't get together on Thanksgiving, if it is a possibility? Is it OK to have a cardboard turkey in the Mayor's office?
During the Jewish festival of Hanukkah, menorahs are placed in town squares, city parks and many other public places. No one seems to complain about the menorahs.
So, why do we seem to be determined to single out Christmas?
The reason is very simple, when we see the word Christmas, we see Christ and that's just scary to some people. We seem to be determined to remove that name from every book, every written article, and every public place.
Christmas has become more of a retail holiday than anything else. If you don't believe that just try doing your shopping on December 24th in your local mall.
Christmas is a time of love, sharing and nurturing friendships. We all participate in some way, even if it is not the same reason as Christian's celebrate.
What's wrong with a decorated tree on the courthouse lawn, carolers on the town square, or even a nativity scene in the local city park?
When we look at the Nativity, some will see a Christ child, others will see some old men and a donkey. Decorations placed on the lawns of private homes or in public places are just that "decorations", so let's decorate.
What do you think. I would like to hear what you have to say. Please join me on LinkedIn and Google+.
As a freelance writer, I write on many other topics outside government and politics. If you need some help writing those high quality blog posts, you can get in touch over here. - Ken
