Dear America,

Putting the irrational and irreverent abuses of power by the U.S. Congress aside for a day, let's continue with yesterday's ranting, and focus in on the persecution of Christmas.

And let's begin with...get a load of that Pope, shall we...lamenting the growing and "sophisticated forms of hostility to religion," noting the heightened occurrence of attacks upon Christianity, the practice of it's customs, rituals and symbols, while also declaring there is a link between religious freedom and tolerance with that of achieving world peace and security.

thank you.

The thing is, with the ACLU carrying on the way it is, the truth of the matter is, the celebration of "CHRISTMAS" is not necessarily all about Christians anymore; we have moved into a new age, an age that boldly celebrates the commercialism of just about anything.

The "Christmas Holiday" is celebrated culturally across the globe, stemming from traditions rooted by seasonal changes, the winter solstice perhaps, to ordinary folklore passed down for generations, to yes, even that which may be expressly conceived by a religious belief, like the birth of a baby Jesus,  or something.  People, as individuals, have the power to make it whatever they want it to be -- and we do!

I was reminded of the globalization of Christmas by two things happening today. First, an email that really has no relation to Christmas whatsoever, but timely none the less.  It went something like this -- and warning, this is absolutely crass, politically incorrect, and ridiculous all at the same time, so please, I beg of you, may you forgive me now and later --

Picture Lady Di in her wedding gown, first of all.  

Then immediately following the snapshot of the iconic princess for all time, came this:
Question: 
What is the truest definition of Globalization?
Answer:
Princess Diana's death.
Question:
How come?
Answer :

An
English princess
with an
Egyptian boyfriend 
crashes
in a French tunnel,
riding in a 
German
car 
with a
Dutch engine, 
driven
by a Belgian 
who was
drunk 
on
Scottish whisky, 
(check the bottle before you
change the spelling), 
followed
closely by 
Italian
Paparazzi, 
on
Japanese motorcycles, 
treated
by an American doctor,
using 
Brazilian
medicines. 
This is
sent to you by 
a
Canadian, using 
American
Bill Gates' technology, 
and
you're probably reading
this on your computer, 
that
uses Taiwanese chips,
and 
a 
Korean
monitor, 
assembled
by 
Bangladeshi
workers 
in a
Singapore plant, 
transported
by Indian 
truck drivers, 
hijacked
by Indonesians, 
unloaded by
Sicilian longshoremen, 
and
trucked to you by Mexican illegals.

Yep, it was in poor taste, but may it serve a purpose today...this irreverent breakdown of the what defines nearly every event in our life either has been touched, or will be touched, or is touching you right now by the entire globe. How many things around you say MADE in CHINA, huh?  

Christmas is no different....  so hear me out... 

CHRISTMAS IS!  And more important, it is GLOBAL.  

What the ACLU is doing -- poorly orchestrated if you ask me -- is a blatant, ill-conceived, ridiculous attack on Christmas, when if they just take a look around for a moment, the entire world is singing Christmas Carols in some way, shape or form -- for any number of reasons -- for, after all, tis the season, don'cha know.

Yes, for those who are happy to be called Christian, it IS about the baby Jesus.  And can I get a little amen, hallelujah! You got me there, alright.  I confess. I am not ashamed. Shoot me.    

But if you take a look around, ACLU...hello?  watch, look, listen to the world around you.  

Open your eyes to customs far and wide.  

Take in the smell of gingerbread men from as far away as Norway.  Okay.  

That is all I'm getting at.  

And having said that, the truth is, with the growing tide of secularism, the rise in commercialism, and overall lack of reverence for many things considered religious, SADLY, just because we say "Merry Christmas" doesn't necessarily mean we mean it anymore, if you really want to get down to the brass tacks and trappings of the itty bitty christmas committee.  As the story may turn, a "santa lover" isn't always the same person as the "baby Jesus lover;"  so the assumption being made by the ACLU is quite astounding.

The thing is, what we are talking about, in part, is the difference between a Cultural Christmas and an Authentic One; how can you really tell them apart?

And just when we might begin to lose faith, the way of the world brings reinforcement.

CHRISTMAS is a WORLD WIDE  phenomenon, custom, tradition, that touches every corner of the earth -- and you guys believe you are on the right side of the argument telling the teachers, somewhere in Oh Little Town of Tennessee, that they have another thing coming to them, if they wish to continue their jolly chorus of recognizing, by golly, that it's Christmas?!

Well, Merry Humbug to you, ACLU.

Are you for real, sugar? Didn't you get the memo? Or did you toss it, by automatic reflex, due to the poor choice of letterhead, being that it was printed on paper spelling out a hearty HO HO HO across the top? 

GLOBAL is King, oh fine brotherhood of not in my backyard; global is where it's at; global is more than logistics, it's everything; global is the new catch phrase for our entire operation here on Planet Earth; and if that be true, and I believe it is as every leftist in the world will agree with me -- than the thing to do here, clearly, is to back off; embrace Christmas, like the rest of the world.

Right next to the story on the Pope was another gold nugget of current Christmas trivia -- a piece that unveiled the price tag of a Christmas tree being displayed in the glitzy Emirites Palace Hotel, in Abu Dhabi. Did you see it?  Brilliant, I tell you, brilliant...

Apparently, even the Muslims don't mind a wee bit of Christmas cheer -- and not mincing on anything, if you know what I mean -- this Christmas tree, oh yes, and they call it that, is worth 11 Million Dollars!

It's just a display!  But this tree... it's adorned with jewelry...diamonds and emeralds and pearls, oh my.

When the manager of the hotel was asked if he thought anyone would be offended...oh gosh no..."It's a very liberal country."  really? seriously?   

Hmmm I wonder then, will we live to see the day of an UAE-CLU?

But besides Abu Dhabi, the world really loves Christmas time...and now, without further delay, getting to the second thing -- I know, and you thought the second thing was all my favorite things hanging on a Christmas tree in the UAE, not. 

The other breakthrough came via my TV -- and specifically, the MUSIC CHOICE made available through my cable,  when I serendipitously landed upon the Sounds of the Season.  If you get this channel, have some fun today while expanding your horizons, taking yourself on a world tour of Christmas without ever leaving your couch.  (yes, and cheap fun, too.)

By the way, watch it before the ACLU, or the FCC, takes this off the air...

As it plays the Sounds of the Season -- which just so happens to be every loved holiday jingle from the last hundred years -- they feed you  (oooh, do you hear what I hear, I mean, "indoctrination") tidbits of yule time trivia:

• candy canes weren't striped (with red) until the 20th century.
• Christmas Cards were first used to tell the Christmas story to people who could not read.
• evergreen, holly and mistletoe, common in yule tide season and celebration, are symbols for everlasting life.
• the use of tinsel comes from the sightings of spider webs,  naturally found nestled in trees.
• at about the Civil War, Santa's coat was made red -- before that, it was tan.(ew)
• YULE is the celebration of natures return to light and warmth, following winter.
• in Chili, "Old Man Christmas" comes through the window.
• in Sweden, the oldest daughter awakens the parents with a song, "Santa Lucia," on Christmas morning.
• Norway sends a large Christmas tree to England every year.

You get my snow drift.

The attack on Christmas by the ACLU, and anyone else for that matter, is so yesteryear; and the celebration of it most certainly doesn't stop with the school bell.

Go global already...(UPS might be able to help, ooh and lookie there, you're in luck, they are union too)...oh goodness, my mind is spinning...now this is the kind of global warming I can get excited about...oh my...think I've bitten the heads off  too many gingerbread men for one day...just stop G...enough already.

In the meantime, my suggestion is we all sit down with some eggnog,or a hot buttered rum, and get over ourselves -- starting in the company of a few friends of this fine custom -- or will that be next on the holiday hit list?  First schools, then the grocery stores...outdoor lighting...humming jingle bells...looking all cross eyed and jolly at someone from across the room...

Make it a Good Day, G