CELEBRATING THE SEASON

Okay, I've pontificated on this bogus "war on Christmas" issue enough. But I've noticed that several liberal bloggers that I visit have related how their own families celebrate the season, so I'll weigh in.

I love to cook for holiday gatherings of the fam. And since The Sage and I have five offspring, the fam is quite large. This year we'll be welcoming the in-laws of our brood as well as a few solitary friends, so the head count will approach 25. And, since we have two daughters (of our three girls and two sons) who have converted to Judaism (The Sage and I are, to our new readers, devoted Christians), we will be cognizant of their sensibilities.

Well. We're planning a huge feed, we'll attend Christmas Eve services, the house is decorated to the hilt both inside and out (yes, we have a Christmas tree and a star of Bethlehem adorns our garage, but we also have a menorah in the living room window). As I often tell my girls, Jesus was a Jew, and Santa Claus could just as well be called Sol Clausewitz, since he is referred to by many names in other nations.

The way I figure it is, the season is an opportunity for family, love and unity. We will not forego our tradition of reading from the book of Luke in the Bible about the birth of Christ, but we will also be respectful of our girls' sentiments. It's not hard -- I don't know why Bill O'Reilly and Jerry Falwell have a problem with that. In Texas, we just hope and dream for cold weather (dare I hope for snow?) so that Christmas is set apart. We, like most of the southern United States, are enamored of the Irving Berling "White Christmas" myth, but I can't remember the last time it actually happened.

So we'll eat, and worship, exchange gifts, play games, take a nap, and it will be wonderful. How about you?