The signs of Christmas

I want to wish all of those who have read, shared, and subscribed to this newsletter a Merry Christmas. It’s not fashionable these days to wish someone a Merry Christmas. I understand why. So many people in the United States are not practicing Christians, or they celebrate other holidays such as Hannakuh and Kwanzaa. Assuming they are Christians could be an affront to them.

I grew up in a home celebrating Christmas because it is Jesus Christ’s birthday (although I believe we all have to remind ourselves between all the gift giving and eating what is our true reason for the season). But I believe that at this point in Western history, Christmas is just as much, if not more, a “cultural event” than it is a religious occasion.

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The “signs” of Christmas symbolize so many things other than Jesus of Nazareth’s birthday. Things we all — from atheists to Zoroastrians — cherish and value in our lives. The “signifiers” present in the physical world during the Christmas holidays “signify” so many positive, wonderful, and joyous things that I am willing to continue saying “Merry Christmas” and not simply “Happy Holidays.”

Let me explain what all that means.