Christmas Musings
As our calendars keep reminding us around this time in December, Christmas is just around the corner – next week actually. Knowing that, it might just be time to sit back, sip a glass of wine and reflect on the holiday and muse upon its significance both historically and as a capstone for this year.
But I’d like to break with my blogging tradition and maybe pitch a gripe or two first, if I may? I’d like to air out a couple things that seem to come up this time of year that have been annoying me for quite a while. Let’s start with my particular take on the seemingly unending controversy between “Merry Christmas” and “Happy Holidays.”
See, I probably alienated half of you just now. How DARE he denigrate the sacred saying “Merry Christmas?” you might say. And then you’ll bring up your religious views about what the holiday is all about and how I’m “diluting” the holiday with that “other” appellation. Taking away the “reason for the season” as it were.
Happy Holidays! Bah, humbug! See how evil that sounds?
Ok, Let’s stay calm and follow my reasoning in this matter.
I use the Merry Christmas greeting when I’m talking about the Christmas holiday. The 25th of December. I pretty much ALWAYS say that when I’m referring to that particular day. That’s the doggone name of the holiday for goodness sakes. It’s Christmas Day, so I say, and write, Merry Christmas. But when I say or write Happy Holidays, I’m referring to holidays PLURAL. Thanksgiving/Christmas/New Years. I want you to have Happy Holidays. ALL of them. It’s a lot quicker and definitely more concise to say that than to wish you a Good Thanksgiving, a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. On each individual day I’ll greet you with the appropriate name, of course, but for ALL of them, HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
See how simple that was?
Now, as we’re in the holiday mood, let’s also consider another mighty no-no I’ve been known to say or write. The dreaded Merry Xmas.
Oh Lord, is he going there? It he using that nasty secular-sounding Xmas? What a creep he is!
Well, here’s the scoop amigos. When I sit down and write my Christmas cards I have been known to write Merry Christmas in them. And after writing a dozen cards or so, my hand starts to cramp a bit, so I abbreviate it to Merry Xmas. Simple as that. No offense intended. No harm, no foul. And don’t tell me you don’t, in your head, substitute Christmas for Xmas anyhow.
To be honest, I really don’t worry too much these days about whether you’re happy with my abbreviations or not. I find that, especially in these contentious times, that what I believe (about many things) or what I think about those many things will please about half my friends and family and alienate the other half. And, to be honest again, I have attained the ripe old age where your opinion of me or what I think generally is immaterial.
“What you see is what you get,” says this crusty ol’ varmint.
So, if you will allow me again, some history about that little “X”. I paraphrase a bit from a generally accepted as factual site on the Internet:
“The word “Christmas” comes from the Old English word “Cristes maesse” or “Christ’s mass” which was written to form one word starting in the 14th century. It was derived from the Greek word “Christos” (Christ) and the Latin word “missa” (mass).
The word “Xmas,” on the other hand, is used as an abbreviation of the word “Christmas.” The letter “X” comes from the Greek letter “chi,” the first letter in the Greek word for “Christ,” and “maesse” from the Old English word for “mass.” The word is considered as an informal form of the word “Christmas. It has been in use since the year 1100 written as “Xpes maesse.” It evolved into the word “Xmas” during the middle of the 18th century.”
There. See? Just an abbreviation and definitely not irreligious.
At least I hope not…
So now that I’m done venting a bit, let’s go on, shall we?
I generally like to divide my year into chunks and like to count a couple dates as milestones for that particular year to delineate those chunks. Christmas is one of them. (If you’re interested, summer vacation is the other one) I usually consider Christmas as the end point of the present year, or close enough, and anything after that is part of the following one. And it is also a good time to think back on the previous 12 months and to check the score on, to use a sports analogy, the wins and losses. Then you can add up all those pluses and minuses and decide whether you’d call it a good year or not. But to cheat a bit, the best part these days, being of a certain age and retired, is that any year where you remained above ground and breathing has to be considered a good one! And, knock on wood, I am still taking in the good air. But you also should take notice of the speed bumps you’ve encountered along the way. That worrisome but minor ailment that doesn’t seem to want to go away. The time you had a chance to do some good for someone and for some inconsequential (or stupid) reason you didn’t. The old friend you didn’t call when you knew you should have. The days that slipped away in which you just did nothing.
The good and the bad.
I sincerely believe that there is a balance sheet out there somewhere where your missteps are tallied up and weighed against the times when you did do the right thing and you did take advantage of the days you were given.
I have a sticky note tacked to my computer screen with a motto on it that says “Did Today Matter?” I try to read it every day. I try to follow its message. I could add this to it: “Is my balance sheet entry for today on the plus side? Or not?”
Sorry for all the heavy thoughts on a Christmas blog. I have written happier pieces on previous Christmases as some of my faithful readers may remember and I surely hope this one will be counted as one of the better ones. Our family’s health is good and our holiday traditions are still strong. We celebrate the holidays with good cheer and still enjoy decorating our house with festive items. My wife still bakes the traditional Christmas cookies and yummy candies and shares them with select friends and family. We cherish our evenings around the fire (ok, the TV screen – ya got me) and we enjoy getting together with old and new friends and with our loving family.
So gentle readers, please join me when we lift a cup of good cheer on this upcoming Christmas, use the mistletoe to give our spouses and significant others a kiss and gaze once again at our lighted Christmas trees with the trusting eyes of children.
And maybe, before bed this Christmas Eve, I’ll step outside my front door for a minute and listen closely for the muted sounds of tiny raindeer hooves on our rooftop and maybe hear a quiet ho-ho-ho from the region of our chimney.
So Merry Christmas to all and may we all strive for days that matter.
