“May you have the gladness of
Christmas which is hope; the spirit of Christmas which is peace; the heart of
Christmas which is love…” Ada
Hendricks. How peaceful and beautiful our town looks with the wreaths
decked in bows adding the signature red/green colors and tiny white lights of
Christmas and hung on lampposts that held flowering baskets all summer.
I recently read a letter by an
atheist who said he thought the lights and crèches and menorahs and other
religious symbols should be banned because they confused his children. Though I
can appreciate his position, I would find it sad to want a world so sterile and
devoid of any tradition and celebration. Wouldn’t this be a great way to
teach tolerance to your child, that the objects of tradition whether religious
or purely for fun, are different from what you do or do not believe – not wrong
but different? And different is okay, different should be welcome because it’s
what makes our world interesting!
I am not offended when someone says
Happy Hanukah to me, or Happy Kwanza or Happy Ramadan, because they would be
sharing with me the joy they feel celebrating their family holiday! Joy in any
form is a beautiful and rare gift to share and wouldn’t it be nice to have a
universal month of joy, light, peace and celebration where all faiths and all
traditions are respected?
John Lennon
together with Yoko Ono co-wrote the song Imagine with lyrics encouraging
us to imagine a world at peace without the impediments of religions and
nationalities. With subtle suggestions that we should be living a life
unattached to material possessions, one wonders if such a utopia could exist? I
myself could not forfeit my attachment to certain possessions but I like the
song and I like the ideal behind it.
However, as I make my way through
town picking up gifts here and there for loved ones, I don’t feel
materialistic, I feel happiness at sharing what I hope will be the perfect gift
for the perfect person, and Darien’s shops have a plethora of ideas for anyone
on every list. I don’t even have to leave town to shop and I don’t have to go
online though I admit a secret obsession with surfing through those sites and
seeing what deals they have…
So as I start to wrap, decorate the
tree, try to put up outdoor lights, I’ll end my story today with the words of
Clement Moore (…ere he drove out of sight) and share the joy of my
religious belief “Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night…”
