In hopes of not offending anyone, in the spirit of multicultural tolerance 
, we did not put up a traditional Christmas tree this year, but just decorated one of our indoor tree-plants. December 20, 2005 [LINK]
In hopes of not offending anyone, in the spirit of multicultural tolerance , we did not put up a traditional Christmas tree this year, but just decorated one of our indoor tree-plants.
Among our bird ornaments are a loon, a goldfinch, and a hummingbird. Others are hard to identify.
As an exasperated bystander in the silly "culture wars," I must confess indifference to the controversy over the Christmas season, and whether it should be labeled as such in the public sphere. It's just simple tact and common sense that one should adjust salutations during this time of year according to the person to whom you are talking. It's also obvious that a large majority of Americans are of a Christian background, and it's only natural that the "reason for the season" -- the traditional (if conjecturally dated) celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ -- be widely recognized in public, as long as tax dollars aren't spent for such a purpose. It's not like it's a secret, and a bit of occasional evangelizing never hurt anyone.
This is the 40th anniversary of the first "Charlie Brown Christmas" broadcast on CBS, and many people don't know that that was the first time that criticism of crassly commercialized Christmas was expressed in a mass venue. Robert Thompson reminded us of this last month in the Washington Post. I can identify with the gentle, spiritually uplifting sentiments that "Peanuts" creator Charles Schulz always tried to convey in his cartoon work. Irony aside, may all the world be blessed with peace, joy, and goodwill this season.