I love the holiday season, but the religious, Christian mythology aspect has never been the driving force for me. I have always loved the music, especially the secular, happy songs. I love the decorations, especially Christmas trees and Christmas lights. I love the gift giving and the pretty packages. Even though I have PTSD and social phobia, I enjoy hearing about and knowing others are going to Christmas parties. I enjoy the food. I enjoy sweet, sappy Christmas movies. Many make a special effort to show their appreciation of loved ones and all of their fellow human beings in the month of December. It’s a celebration of life.
For those of us in the northern hemisphere, it is the beginning of winter, which can be harsh and long. And for many, it was once a frightening time due to the scarcity of food. What a wonderful time to celebrate life and the processes of nature. It’s good that we reassure one another with loving messages and by giving away precious supplies as we head into this dark, cold season. We will stick together. We will survive. And we place our faith in nature and look forward to spring.
I see life as a mystery, and if there is such a reality that is often called “God”, I believe this reality is transcendent. I don’t believe you can ever know it or talk about it in a direct way. Much of religion, including Christianity, becomes absurd to me when it is concretized. So I don’t really care if you go to church, specifically wish me a “Merry Christmas” or if you remember to “keep Christ in Christmas.” I don’t care about any of that. What I like is the underlying message of hope and love which can be expressed in any number of ways.
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