Message of peace, joy and goodwill is for everyone

Well, some people took it from some other people, using it to help establish something else, before some other people co-opted it for another use.

And then, of course, the merchants got their hands on it, and that was that.

So who does it – “it” being Christmas, of course – really belong to?

Playing a bit fast and loose with history, the then-nascent religion of Christianity took it from those solstice-celebrating pagans, turning it into “Christ’s Mass,” a Catholic holiday, before the darn Protestants got their hands on it.

Then, of course, the guv’ment got in on the action, making it a federal holiday in 1870.

Washington Irving and Charles Dickens helped to reinvent the day as one of peace, family and charity. But lastly, the secularists grabbed it, tossed Jesus aside and turned it into a spectacle of spending, lust and greed.

Well, that’s one interpretation. But I think the story of Christmas, like everything else, just proves that there’s nothing constant but change. And that no one has a lock on the holiday.

I’ve been doing quite a bit of reading recently, just to see how worked up various constituencies get over Christmas, and it appears that almost everyone rejects the holiday for some reason or another.

There are the “real” Christians who hate it for being a “Catholic” holiday; there are those who distance themselves due to the darned pagans; and, of course, there are humanists and secularists and (gasp) atheists who don’t believe in God and/or Jesus or, therefore, Christmas.

Now, if that isn’t a big enough kettle of fish, many embrace the holiday for precisely the same reasons that others reject it. And some say the whole kit and caboodle is fine: It’s all of these things, so just pick and choose what suits you best.

That’s pretty much my take, as you might guess, a belief that no one owns it and that everyone is welcome at the table – Christians, non-Christians, believers and nonbelievers alike.

And for me, the holiday season, starting with Thanksgiving, is (or should be) a season for inclusiveness. Why not recognize Hanukkah, the Solstice, Christmas, Kwanzaa, and New Year’s Day as part of the diversity of human belief systems, each celebrating a culture that can thrive in the company of different points of view?

I think this diversity shares a communal sense of, and participation in, a season of goodwill, a season of sharing and gifts, and yes, a season of particular rituals, none of which should lay claim to the totality of the holiday.

I don’t think that my unbelief in religion causes any harm, whereas certain types of believers can do plenty of damage, as current events attest.

I do find the holiday season stressful, like most people, and have always felt pressure around the giving of gifts. Is it good enough? Is it expensive enough? Will they like it?

I’m lucky enough to be able to create paintings that many people find beautiful, but even this creates a problem. Will the gift of a painting be seen as too much, making reciprocity a problem?

So the merchandising of Christmas has affected me over the years, though less so as I grow older.

I’m less likely these days to care so much about the expense or quality of a gift – either given or received – as I am about the intent behind it. Just the fact that someone cares enough about me to send something so simple as a card is meaning enough.

And the season’s blessings outweigh its stresses. I like the feasting, the sharing of special meals, and the ritual aspect of a Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner.

I like putting up a Christmas tree and looking at pretty lights and ornaments. I like seeing a carefully wrapped present, as the wrapping is part of the gift, a gift of time.

I like (some) sappy Christmas specials and good old Jimmy Stewart. But then, I also think of “Die Hard” as a Christmas movie, don’t you know.

So I wish you a merry Christmas, happy holidays, too, and however you celebrate the season, I hope the traditional wishes – for peace, joy and goodwill for all – are in your heart, as well.

Coda: In regards to my last column, on jury duty: I sat in two pools and was selected for one trial, and it was inspiring to see the serious regard for which all potential jurors took their duty. We sent our defendant home for Christmas, not guilty.