Last night, I watched a beautiful program -- Rick Steves traveled to seven different European countries to document their Christmas traditions. These traditions were centuries long, and sprang not from some marketer's depiction of what Christmas SHOULD BE, but what this time of year always HAD BEEN.

It made me realize I'm a Christmas moderate. I'm equally sick of both sides. And this is about freedom, fun, and human instinct.

Like I mentioned before, humans don't like the shortened days. We get depressed. So, reasonably, we bake some cookies, drink some booze, sing some songs, light some candles, and have a party. Since we need more of a reason than that, let's say it's for some god or another.

Then, Christianity comes along. They don't have a problem with the party, but they do have a problem with the other gods. So, let's name that big party Christ's feast day.

The Church did that all the time; named feast days for people. For example, September 29 is St. Michael the Archangel's feast day, which used to be celebrated as Michaelmas. He was neither born nor died nor had any particular angelic thing that I know of happen to him that day; they just assigned it to him. So? So, December 25 wasn't Jesus's real birthday. So? We don't know when it was. Does that mean we can't celebrate it, ever?

Who are these people trying to decide who gets to do what, when? I'm talking to both sides here. Why do we care that somebody does things a different way than us, or believes something different?

Why do some Christians care if non-Christians want to break up their cold, long days with a party but downplay the religious aspects because they don't believe in them? So?

Why do some non-Christians think they can decide to cut out the religious parts because they feel "uncomfortable?" Are you really going to faint if you see an angel?

People fight wars over this "my way or the highway" nonsense. Religion isn't a reason for a war, it's an excuse. For some reason, some people want things done THEIR WAY and ONLY THEIR WAY.

If I want to believe a virgin gave birth, what's it to you? If Tom Cruise wants to believe aliens live in his head and jump up and down on a couch, what's it to you? Although his remarks about treating mental illness are irresponsible, but... I digress. Let's quit being a bunch of busybodies and let people have their fun and their celebrations.