Christmas

There once was a Day!

There once was a special day people called Christmas. December 25 was chosen in 336 AD so that Christians could celebrate the birth of a special little boy. They chose this day because it was also the day of Saturnalia (a pagan holiday). Why this day? There are many guesses, but they are not important. Originally, Christmas was intended as a birthday celebration. It started out as a simple church service. However, to better "celebrate" this birth day, people started adding cräches, manger scenes, bright stars, and The Magi. This seemed pretty harmless.

Over time, other traditions were added to the mix. Eventually we added decorated trees, reindeers, a man in a red suit wearing a white beard, and people giving each other presents. People the world over have celebrated this special day in many ways.

But wait a minutes, we can't celebrate this Day in this way. By having the manger scene on government property, we are violating "separation of church and state". So, let's remove the manger scene, but we can successfully keep the "Christmas" tree. Or, can we? Not so fast says the _________s, the __________s, and the __________s. (The blanks are so that "no one" is offended or left out). Some of don't recognize this "church" celebration. Some say that it is sacrilegious the way we celebrate this special day. What's wrong with my special "boy" or is that "girl"? By the way, what about those who don't believe in "church" or "god".

How about calling it a "Holiday"? Sounds like a good idea. This way any one can celebrate this day and still keep the economy on a good track. Oh, Oh. Somebody looked up the word in Webster's and noticed it means "holy day" and we can't have that because it would surely "hurt somebody's feelings".

I wonder what we should call 25 December so that "everybody" will be happy. If we make it just any ordinary day, then the retailers and the economists will be unhappy. I don't know. Maybe somebody can think of one. How did we get from celebrating the birth of a special child all the way to changing the name of the day so that "everyone" can be happy?

Shelly Sintas

UNM Student

363-5725