Santa, Reindeer, Trees? Thanks, but no.

I know...it's crazy.  But I am - in a general sense - highly anti-Christmas.  Not because I don't believe in celebrating the birth of our Lord, Jesus.  But because it has turned into this commercial holiday about getting stuff and expecting gifts and feeding our greed, and going into debt so we don't disappoint our children, who may or may not have been good this year...but who still get these ridiculous presents regardless of their behavior.

And then there's this business with Santa Claus becoming the focus instead of Jesus.  Okay...so maybe Jesus wasn't born this time of year, but that doesn't matter.  Christmas IS NOT about reindeer and Santa Claus and snow men.  It's not about blackmailing your children into behaving well by telling them Santa won't bring them presents.  It's not about that.  It's about Jesus, and dad gummit, it ticks me off that our commercialism and our selfishness has kicked Him to the curb.

And don't even get me started on Christmas trees.  You know there's a passage in Jeremiah 10:1-10 about a pagan ritual where people cut down trees, put them up in their homes like a shrine, about fashioning shrines out of gold and silver, decorating in blues and purples.  And they revered these idols. 

"But, Kasidee," you say, "we don't worship the trees." 

Really?  how do you get the presents out from under them?  You get down on your knees and pull them out.  You might not literally be worshipping them, but you can be sure that the devil is chuckling because you're unintentionally bowing down to it.  And that might be fine.  Your heart may not be bowing down to that tree, but i'm not willing to be made a fool of like that.

And now, you can't tell people "Merry Christmas" without dealing with being politically uncorrect.  PLEASE!  we can say "Happy Hannukah" or "Happy Kwanza" or some other religious holiday, but we can't say "Merry Christmas" even though "Christmas" is the name of the holiday - and only because it has the word "Christ" in it.  what CRAP!  When I see you in public, I'm gonna tell you "Merry Christmas" and you can send your "Happy Holidays" down the river.

No...I don't like celebrating the Christmas that has evolved.  Give me a celebration of Jesus - give me a day of gratefulness for the blessing of Jesus Christ who came as a baby in humbleness - give me a holiday about the birth of our Lord - give me a feast or festival or holiday about the great Light of the world that came to this earth and illuminated the dark.  I'll celebrate that holday. 

Wait...there is a holiday that celebrates all those things.  Yes, that's right.  Forget Christmas.  Give me Hannukah. 

The Meaning of Hannukah to Christians - BLOG TO COME.