Christmas is a place in the heart I enjoy, revisiting my childhood and my kids' childhood each year. Now one of my 2 daughters has kids and is starting another cycle of memories in Sicily. The best gift I ever received was my first trike, equiped with a hand brake and a clutch release for the pedals on the front wheel.
This year my gift is a Plextor 708A DVD burner. My wife's is our Feb 9 trip to the Antarctic on a Russian Polar Explorer, leaving from Terra del Fuego, accompanied by a new Lumix 12X (optical zoom) 4 MP camera.
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It's a bit later now and I just listened to a really nice program about Christmas on Radio Australia--an interview with an academic about the psycological aspects of Christmas.
A kind of affirmation to Radiationboy's view.
"Christmas" means many different things. In our world today, first there is the commercial aspect--sell, sell, sell. Then there is the religious aspect, The birth of Christ. There is also the idea of Santa Claus. Santa has many identies around the world. This guy exists in most European countries under various guises. Just do a Google Search. There is even Leif Claus in Norway. But the result is the same. ...a very human expression of generosity and love.
Point being, Christmas is a holiday that has to do with human relationships. The Brits did it the best with the "Christmas Carol". Therein lies the secret of Christmas. The Yanks picked it up and made it more glitzy, but the basic theme is "love". The Christians--probably the Catholic Church-- figured this out in the early years and decided to celebrate Christ's birth coincidentally with a Pagan celebration. Somehow the two events continue to live together after, and rightly so, since the message is the same. Love, and generosity.
Each year I review my favorite Christmas video's: Alistair Sims in "Scrooge", "It's A Wonderful Life" with James Stewart, and even the silly childrens stufff. ...and each year my wonder at the capacity of friends for love and good fellowship increases. "Christmas Spirit" is a good thing. No matter your personal philosophical persuasions.
MERRY CHRISTMAS to all. We usually are reduced to saying "Happy Holidays" so as not to offend people who attach Western religious sentiment to this event, but to those people I say phooey. Enjoy Christmas for whatever reason you can imagine. It CAN be magic if you believe. And "believe in my fellow man I do".
Amen Mr. Rad.
Though I did get a rather cute shirt with:
"I wish I could control + alt + delete you."
I hope I can find one of those t-shirts.
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
All my savings on christmas this year. But thats ok since my mother/step father payed for college last and this semester coming up. And my car. 
in check.
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