CHRISTMAS -THE WORD I DARE NOT UTTER

Well folks, that time’s coming round again. December the 25th. Christmas – or (I’m loathe to say) Xmas; a time of joy and family. A time when kids’ eyes light up at the expectation of the jolly fat man with his big bag of goodies.
I remember the pure excitement as a young boy myself, of this time. Sent to bed early, I could never sleep. I would try – try sooo hard, but the thought of what waited for me when I got up the next day prevented it for some time.
Eventually I would drift off and when I awoke the next morning, I’d jump out of bed (a rarity itself – and the only time that happened) and race into the lounge to the waiting presents beneath the Christmas tree, and my bleary-eyed parents. (My father, suspecting a night-time excursion to the tree, more specifically the wonders underneath, would sleep on the sofa to guard against such action).
I ignored my mother’s pleas to ‘be careful with the wrapping paper, we could use it next year’ as I ripped the covering off, my eyes lighting up when I discovered the treat within. This joy was followed by the obligatory visit to church to celebrate the true meaning of Christmas
This was Christmas as I knew it. I would offer that it’s how most would remember it.
Unfortunately, it would seem, it is no more.
Christmas is under attack from the politically correct, fearful of offending those who don’t share such beliefs.
It started some time ago actually, with the removal of Christ from the title (that Christmas is Christ’s birthday and roughly translates as ‘Christ’s Day’ seems to have been lost on these people) and replacing it with the, oh so inventive X, and now has been further reduced to – wait for it – holiday. Merry/happy holiday? Nah, it just doesn’t have the same ring. Why? You know why – to placate some minority.
Further, Christmas isn’t just a holiday. Actually, Christmas isn’t even a holiday – it’s a celebration of the birth of a historical figure; a figure whose influence on society for the past 2000 years is hard to quantify, so colossal it’s been.
Now, you may not believe – that’s your undeniable right, and til the day I die, one I’ll vehemently defend on your behalf, however it’s



also the right of whomever to believe what he or she wants and to arbitrarily deny this by your absurd censorship of its true title is an infinitely worse act.

An example (one of many as it happens): a friend of mine works as a graphic artist and one of her recent jobs was to design a flyer for her company’s Christmas party. Simple, yes?

Afraid not.

She was told she wasn’t allowed to use the word Christmas; she could use a star – as long as it wasn’t the Star of David; and no tree.
So basically, design a card for a Christmas party without any mention or reference to Christmas or the fact that it was a religious holiday.
Oh – my – God (or should that be ‘divine being’ whomever you believe him – or her to be – gotta keep the feminists happy too!) – what’s got into these people?
If you PCs are so upset with Christ (whose birthday it is) being used in the title of the holiday, because it offends some minority (easily bloody offended if you ask me), then don’t take advantage of the Christ’s Day. You keep working throughout, believing in whomever or whatever you choose. Meantime those who do accept it as it is and should be can enjoy it.
Christmas is a religious festival and is it not a constitutional right to believe in whichever religion one chooses? Almost God-given?

I’m dreaming of a white …holiday? Aargh! Gimme a break! Bing would be turning in his grave.

You better watch out; you better not cry; you better be good; I’m telling you why; a large, sveltely-challenged, person is coming to town.

It’s getting a little bit silly, no?