Merry ChrismaHannaKwansiDan!

The dirtiest four letter word around seems to be Xmas. Recently, I posted the following bulletin, and received the response that is posted immediately following:



BULLETIN:

Christmas cards!



This is coming early (really early) so that you can get ready to

include an important address to your list.



Read on........



What a GREAT idea!



Wanna have some fun this CHRISTMAS? Send the ACLU a CHRISTMAS CARD this year.



As they are working so very hard to get rid of the CHRISTMAS part of this holiday, we should all send them a nice, CHRISTIAN, card to brighten up their dark, sad, little world.



Make sure it says "Merry Christmas" on it

Here's the Address, just don't be rude or crude. (It's Not the Christian Way, you know!)



ACLU

125 Broad Street

18th Floor

New York, NY 10004



Two tons of Christmas cards would freeze their operations because they wouldn't know if any were regular mail containing contributions. So spend 39 cents and tell the ACLU to leave Christmas alone. Also tell them that there is no such thing as a "Holiday Tree". . . . It's a Christmas Tree even in the fields!!



And pass this on to your total email lists... and re-post it on message boards, myspace... everywhere. We really want to communicate with the ACLU! They really DESERVE us!!



RESPONSE:

All right, Jane... You are too young to be so cynical. That's my job. They're not trying to get rid of Christmas; they're trying to make sure ALL holidays get acknowledgment. You know that.





To my darling friend who sent me that response, I respectfully disagree. Below is a list of the holidays that are getting acknowledgment aside Christmas, causing people to be afraid to bid each other Merry Christmas, but instead Happy Holidays or Seasons Greetings



Kwanzaa: This is NOT A RELIGIOUS HOLIDAY. It is a secular festival celebrating African heritage of black Americans. It lasts seven days, starting the day after Christmas.

It was created by Maulana Karenga in the 1960s and was first celebrated in 1966. Kwanzaa is based in part on traditional African harvest festivals but particularly the roles of family and community in traditional African culture that are translated into modern day black American culture.



Chanukah/Hanukkah: Jews celebrate The Festival of lights, the Feast of Consecration, or The Feast of the Macabees which directly translates into the word Chanukah. The festivals happens near the time of winter solstice and lasts eight days. Described to me by the Jewish mother of an old beau of mine, Hanukkah really isnt that big of a deal when commercialism took hold, it was another way for retailers to make money. Its not that bad, because at least the Jewish kids dont feel left out of the gift-giving. Mrs. Hechtkopf was right at least the commercialism is being spread equally.



Ramadan: The ninth month of the Muslim year during which all Muslims must fast during daylight hours. Indulgence of any sort is forbidden during the fast. Ramadan celebrates the first revelation of the Quran. Described to me by a dear friend of mine who practices Islam, it is much akin to the Christian period of Lent, the 40 days preceding Easter, during which people fast and give up things as a form of atonement.



Our society, in an attempt to not offend its neighbors has allowed itself, to a degree, to become watered down so much that bidding Happy Holidays and Seasons Greetings is more common and more COMFORTABLE than bidding a Merry Christmas. This is hogwash. I am proud of my Saviors birth. After all, Christmas broken down comes from Mass= birth and Christ=savior.



Im no cynic, but if one insists on calling me such then please, give me the honor of quoting a famous cynic Mr. Ebeneezer Scrooge:



I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.



A Merry Christmas to every-body!