Do grinches who profess Christianity grumble that our seasonal celebrations are too secular, while grinches who profess other religions (or none at all) grumble that they are too bound up with Christianity?
Yes, but many people who are not grinches sense the common thread that comes down to us from long before any contemporary squabbles about holidays near the winter solstice.
Those who laid out the passage tombs in Stone Age Ireland expressed an enduring hope with silent eloquence. Life and light may somehow prevail over death and darkness.
I read a reblog by Mitch Teemley of Russell Brown’s post
before I ported my notes for this “Yes, but …” post from a plain text editor to a WordPress draft. (Yes, I am that old.) Tho Russell Brown’s remarks did not prompt any changes in my own remarks about various grinches versus an enduring multicultural hope, I am glad to see that someone who followed a different path from a different place arrived at a similar destination. Why do I care?
While one valid proof is enough to establish something in pure math, everything else is messy and uncertain. The premisses of an argument are not nailed down; the steps are not absolutely valid. It helps to know that several imperfect arguments lead to roughly the same conclusion.
Merry Xmas!
– above post (on phone) or beside it (on desktop). –
Mellow Curmudgeon 
Merry Christmas to you and yours, Mel!
Russell Brown’s post reminded me of a music box I saw many years ago of Santa, hat in hand, kneeling beside the manger. It played “Oh Come All Ye Faithful.” I know St. Nicholas wasn’t a contemporary of Jesus, but it brought another question to my mind: If Saint Nicholas us recognized as a saint by the Anglican, Lutheran, and Roman Catholic Churches, why would any of those believers bemoan his presence at a winter celebration of giving?
NPR reviewed Adam C, English’s book, The Saint Who Would Be Santa Claus here: https://www.npr(dot)org/2012/12/25/167977053/just-who-was-the-real-st-nicholas
LikeLiked by 1 person
Merry Christmas Mel! I’m sure the grinch loves you.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Health & Happiness to you in 2022!
LikeLiked by 1 person
The enduring prevalence through history that “Life and light may somehow prevail over death and darkness” is an idea worth focusing on when storm clouds darken our view. Hope is an interesting word and a friend of the light. Hopefully the light is more present in 2021. Stay safe, Mellow.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Change that to 2022, Still not use to the change in numbers. Ha ha!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Here is a little-known advantage of the ISO standard format for dates (YYYY-MM-DD):
On 12-31 or 01-01, I can start filling in the Date line on the next check to be written, with “2022-” in the current case. Unless it is late in the year, part of my ritual in writing a check is to start dating the next one with the appropriate [YYYY-]. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I just need to be mindful that a yearly habit has suddenly changed. 🙂 Have a wonderful day, Mel.
LikeLiked by 1 person