Christmas in America

'Christmas in America. Or is that Holiday Season? What the fuck am I supposed to call it again?' Amber Brown reports from Stateside.

Well another year almost over and the dark shadow of Christmas, or the Holiday Season, looms above us. Normally, this time of year is anticipatedwith cheer, charity, gifts (wanted or not), booze and the hilarious possibility that your boss will drink too much and publicly make an arse out him or herself that will forever be immortalized on video. But not this year. More and more people I talked to claim they just don't seem to have that Christmas spirit.

Should they call it Christmas Spirit?

It's no wonder that people are finding it harder to that special seasonal feeling this year. Seems you can't step outside anymore without offending someone. Wish them a Merry Christmas and you are politically incorrect. Say Happy Holidays and you are an insensitive atheist trying to kill Christmas. Season's greetings? Nope. Try again.

It's ironic that a country that so prides itself on the separation of church and state is, in many communities, trying to push the concept of Intelligent Design on science classes, placing monuments to the 10 commandments on government property and has a National Christmas Tree. Yet, no one can figure out what they are suppose to say to one another in passing. So, many of us are just giving up on the entire season all together. One of my good friends told me that he isn't even putting up a tree this year - and this from a guy who use to listen to Christmas music starting in October.

A local middle school near Boston, students were told to refer to Christmas trees as magical trees. Red hats have also been banned. All this after two parents complained about references to Christmas in the program.

Where did it all go wrong? The last 5 years have been turbulent to say the least. 9/11, the War in Iraq (that is not a war as we are told), Katrina, unemployment, a struggling economy, international distrust... The nation is divided right down the middle on just about every issue. Conservatives are shoving American Values Christian-Style down our throats - and half the country is just eating it up. The other half is sick to death of politicians hiding behind the curtain of moral obligations (ie our Christian duties).

What Are We Forgetting?

I was raised Catholic but not devoutly and I haven't been to church in years, nor do I plan on attending any time soon. I am more spiritual than religious. For me, Christmas or the Holiday Season or whatever it's now called because I just can't keep up, is not about religion, but about being with family and friends. It's about charity and remembering those who are less fortunate than ourselves. It's about looking forward to the new year and hoping that it will bring about change for the better of all of us. Somewhere in this constant bickering, we, as a nation, seem to have forgotten all that.

So, here's wishing all of you ___________________ (fill in the blank because I am tired of guessing what is the least offensive message of cheer and peace).

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Image courtesy of Blue Harvest

Happy mid-winter!

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having just enjoyed a politically correct festive holiday celebration here in canada, precariously close to the u.s. border, i have to say that despite all the distractions we managed to eat, drink and be merry anyway. now it`s a straight shot through to easter. or egg day, or whatever.