Every time someone bitches about someone saying "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas" I want to stab them in the face with a branding iron. I think it's really funny that people think that because their holiday is the one that's mostly celebrated, that completely negates the fact that there are millions of Jews across the country that have a different holiday in the same week. Not to mention native Africans celebrate Kwanzaa the week after Christmas. I guess I just don't get why people want this time that usually represents "peace on earth and good will toward man" to be so exclusive to them. I mean, it's not like there's a law keeping you from celebrating what you do, so why make it a point to make other people's beliefs or traditions seem less significant than your own?

I guess I'm a little bias. I'm not a Christian, I've been an atheist for a long, long time now. I don't celebrate Christmas as a religious holiday, I observe it as a day that we put aside our differences and focus on giving instead of receiving, of loving instead of judging, of inclusion rather than exclusion. I celebrate the myriad of people that make up my family tree as well as my extended family. Sometimes it's the only time of the year when I remember how much I love them and how much they really mean to me. It's kind of sad that it takes a holiday to reveal those feelings but at least it happens.

So everyone can bash me for being politically correct (anyone who really knows me, knows that's miles from being true) and rant and rave about how I can't celebrate Christmas and all that, I really don't care. I just wanted my opinions written out for my own piece of mind, honestly.

So from me to you and yours: Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Kickin' Kwanzaa and a happy fucking new year!

Peace (on Earth)