Not a Holiday Party

We took back both houses of congress
and I say it's time to take back
Christmas too. If we act now,
we might still be able to salvage
at least a little bit of the real thing.
Back, I say, to the way the spirit
of the season was before the phrase
Politically Correct ever snuck under
our doorways to take the fun
out of freakin' everything.
Back to midnight mass and
carols in front of all the
neighbor's houses, real carols,
about the glory of forgiveness
and sharing. None of this Santa
and Rudolph crap. Enough
with pretending everyone has
a right to participate. Christmas
and Chanuka are different and
mashing them up together--
let's be honest--isn't doing either
tradition any justice. As if
Muslims and Jews don't have
enough festivals and celebrations
quite on their own. As if
Nigerian-Americans have been
dying for decades to incorporate
three oriental kings into their
cosmologies. No, no, no.
Christmas is for cranberries and
reverent stories we don't understand
about the birth of a baby eons ago.
It's for dinners with family members
you never see because you don't
really want to. But you accept this
one, painful, yearly interaction as
part of the dues you owe to call
yourself a lover of Christmas.
Not a lover of Kwanzaa. Not a lover
of Judah Maccabe. Christmas.
With angels on a tannenbaum
and enough pine wreaths to
make anyone sick of pine for
at least a year. I want to sense
the mystery again of having
no idea what exactly made one
night holier than another. But
wanting with all my might for
it to be truly holy. Whatever that
meant. And, damn it, it still
means the same thing doesn't it?
Love your lucky neighbor like
your brother. Keep right on
believing that handing out
trinkets to your kids and
business partners may in fact
bring you just a tad closer to
the creator. Whatever you do,
promise me you'll go home
and consider hosting a Christmas
party. Not a Holiday Party.
Pick your poison, Christmas,
Chanukah, whatever suits you.
Just, please, spare us all the
tactful holiday talk. Really. Please.

(2006)