We Need a Little Christmas

I’ll sum up the content of today’s segment by stealing part of the lyrics from a very popular song heard often this time of year. “Haul out the holly, put up the tree before my spirit falls again, for we need a little Christmas right this very minute.”

For those of you who bask in the glow of a politically correct world you might want to ignore my words this morning because frankly I’m throwing that out the window. We may have never needed the Christmas spirit more than right this very minute and if you’re offended then tough. I’m not endorsing the religious part of the holiday with my words although for many that is clearly significant which is fine and no different than for those who feel the same about Hanukkah or other multicultural events.

However what makes the Christmas season so special is just that: it’s a season and celebrated and enjoyed not just on December 25th but rather for weeks leading up to that, like right now. Here we are living in a world in which fear has become a very ugly four-letter word and seems to follow us everywhere. We acknowledge that there is no truly guaranteed safe place and many admit they are avoiding places and situations even as our leaders tell us that we must not give in to terrorism and go on doing what we usually do. For many that falls into the category of easier said than done.

“Yes, we need a little Christmas right this very minute. It hasn’t snowed a single flurry but Santa dear we’re in a hurry.” I deplore the fact that the majority have rolled over and given into the minority and we can’t hang signs that say “Merry Christmas” or “Happy Hanukkah” without fear of offending someone.

I got into a disagreement with someone recently over this who said the problem is that for non-Christians the words “Merry Christmas” have no meaning. That’s a bunch of BS for this simple reason: do you think every house decorated with lights and candles and even those blow-ups on the lawn belongs to a practicing Christian? There are many with no religious beliefs who love Christmas just as much as those who go to church every Sunday.

It is the Christmas spirit that all of us can celebrate. A time for hugs and handshakes when even for a brief period we might be able to put our troubles aside and believe that things will get better. “For I’ve grown a little leaner, grown a little colder, grown a little sadder, grown a little older. And I need a little angel sitting on my shoulder, I need a little Christmas now.”