Having spent the last day or so looking for something to write about I came to the realization that the world is a very negative place. There was the terrorist situation in Mumbai I could write about but, alas, I admittedly know precious little about the Pakistani/Indian dynamic. There was the man in northern England who raped his two daughters and over the course of several years fathered nineteen children with them, and there was the case of "Baby P" who was neglected by social services and ended up being beaten to death by the people who should have been parents.
There is a lot going on to be angry or upset about. I do actually like a good rant about something that's bugging me, but not today. Not now. It is December, getting colder by the day and getting darker earlier. This can only mean one thing for the majority of the Western world: Christmas is coming.
Now this may surprise people (and it has done in the past) but I really like Christmas. Actually that's not true: I love Christmas. When the trees start appearing in town centers, the strings of lights across the streets and the decorations in people's houses go up I get excited. Christmas time can bring out the best in people.
Having said this I would like to point out now that I do not celebrate Christmas because of the story of Jesus Christ. I am not a Christian. I love and celebrate Christmas because it is a time (more than usual) that people openly display good will and kindness to one another regardless of the depth of their individual faith.
Some Christians are very vocal about Christmas. They say that people do not celebrate its "original purpose", and that it has been cheapened somehow. This in turn makes non-Christians feel more hostility to those protesting Christmas. I won't get into the argument of the "original purpose" of Christmas because that would contradict the rest of this entry. If people are celebrating their loved ones with gifts, good will and affection then why should the reasons for it be questioned? If they are being good to one another then that is what matters.
When it comes to Christmas I base my philosophy on something that could be regarded as odd, but please bear with me. My personal model of Christmas is heavily based on The Muppet Christmas Carol. I have watched this movie every year for as long as I can remember and it never fails to fill me with Christmas cheer. There is nothing confrontational about their vision of Christmas, and religion is hardly mentioned at all. The focus is love. The focus is friends and family. Being good to one another for the sake of being good. I have always found that movie uplifting and I credit it as the best Christmas movie ever made. I am yet to see another one that has come close to the uplifting feeling I get from that one. Although I am attempting to explain my Christmas philosophy, if pushed I would simply show them The Muppet Christmas Carol. It does more to explain what is right with Christmas than my words ever could.
It will nearly be time to watch it again, and I can't wait.
There is a lot going on to be angry or upset about. I do actually like a good rant about something that's bugging me, but not today. Not now. It is December, getting colder by the day and getting darker earlier. This can only mean one thing for the majority of the Western world: Christmas is coming.
Now this may surprise people (and it has done in the past) but I really like Christmas. Actually that's not true: I love Christmas. When the trees start appearing in town centers, the strings of lights across the streets and the decorations in people's houses go up I get excited. Christmas time can bring out the best in people.
Having said this I would like to point out now that I do not celebrate Christmas because of the story of Jesus Christ. I am not a Christian. I love and celebrate Christmas because it is a time (more than usual) that people openly display good will and kindness to one another regardless of the depth of their individual faith.
Some Christians are very vocal about Christmas. They say that people do not celebrate its "original purpose", and that it has been cheapened somehow. This in turn makes non-Christians feel more hostility to those protesting Christmas. I won't get into the argument of the "original purpose" of Christmas because that would contradict the rest of this entry. If people are celebrating their loved ones with gifts, good will and affection then why should the reasons for it be questioned? If they are being good to one another then that is what matters.
When it comes to Christmas I base my philosophy on something that could be regarded as odd, but please bear with me. My personal model of Christmas is heavily based on The Muppet Christmas Carol. I have watched this movie every year for as long as I can remember and it never fails to fill me with Christmas cheer. There is nothing confrontational about their vision of Christmas, and religion is hardly mentioned at all. The focus is love. The focus is friends and family. Being good to one another for the sake of being good. I have always found that movie uplifting and I credit it as the best Christmas movie ever made. I am yet to see another one that has come close to the uplifting feeling I get from that one. Although I am attempting to explain my Christmas philosophy, if pushed I would simply show them The Muppet Christmas Carol. It does more to explain what is right with Christmas than my words ever could.
It will nearly be time to watch it again, and I can't wait.
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