I try really, really hard to not get my hackles up every time some total stranger wishes me a merry christmas as though of course EVERYone celebrates it.
I was out taking a walk and it put me in a quandary. The fact is that most people I would meet on this walk would likely be from Christian backgrounds and might even think me rude if I were to not wish them a Merry Christmas while passing. OTOH, of course there are people of other faiths in town and I didn't want to insult them by assuming they were celebrating Christmas. I ended up settling for "Good Morning".
I was raised Catholic. I consider myself kinda agnostic now. I see it as a winter feast (for those in the Northern hemisphere anyway) meant to cheer people up in the middle of a season where the sun is not around as much. It made sense to celebrate that when pagans were already celebrating Saturnalia, Sol Invictus, etc.
I'm lucky that Christmas does not put me into the funk that it does many people. I suffer from depression already. While it can sometimes remind me of how isolated I am, without a romance or a best friend, it's also just a nice time - lights, greenery, spiced hot drinks, fantastic baked goods. Mostly it's a good ritual for me.
Obligetory Holiday Greetings, Bitches!
This is not the first time that a parrot has played into the Christmas Morning story in my house. Of course last time it was a dead parrot.
How very Monty Python.
We've had dinner and soon there will be pie. My sister found an awesome nearly pristine 1960s Betty Crocker cookbook for our mom and it was a huge hit. Her original is falling apart. My sister rocks at gift-giving, if not receiving. I got a Nissan thermos (hot coffee all day!) and some garnet earrings off Etsy and the Inception DVD. It's been a nice day, and there may be snow on the way!
Much love to all my Bitches. I'm so glad that wherever I go, there you are.
Merry Bitchmas, every one!
We did b-mas eve at a friend's house with a nice mix of friends and family and awesome food; today we got to meet a new 3-day old friend (ADORABLE), although I didn't get to snack on his toes as he gets Very Cranky when cold. And now we're hanging with another friend who didn't have people to go to, playing video games and drinking homebrew and waiting on the chile verde to be done.
My parents were supposed to go to London, but their vacation got Heathrowed. Instead, they're living the cliche with movies and Chinese food. I have been nagged for a visit and the chile recipe.
All in all, a lovely non-stressy totally secular thang (and it's supposed to snow this evening, which never ever happens on Xmas here.)
I mainly can't see how my being a Jewish atheist makes one lick of difference to the fact that December 25th is Christmas Day. So "Merry Christmas" seems, to me, to be the appropriate greeting. (Likewise, tomorrow I shall be wishing people a happy Boxing Day, despite knowing that nobody will be celebrating it as nobody knows what the hell it actually is.)
that's a wise stance, Jessica. I wish i could rationalize myself into accepting that.
Jessica is me. Except for the Jewish part.
Church of Baseballarian
Speaking of which, I am pleased to report that the Christmas Train underneath the Golden Gate Park Christmas Tree, which features a new driver every year according to the whim of the groundskeepers (It was Obama in 2010 and has been Harry Potter and Dora in the past), this year features: Brian Wilson's beard! Yeah, Church of Baseball!
(Apologies to Baseball Apostates)
JZ's xmas morning also prominently featured as parrot as I gave her this.
Oh that is excellent, Hec.
