White Christmas After All.

The ground in Saskatoon wasn't bare of snow.  But there were brown patches in places, and a lot of what was on the ground looked more like spring melt snow than winter snow.  That changed over night, so if you wished for a white Christmas things are probably more to your liking now.  Just don't complain about the snow you're going to shovel.

I hope you're having a nice Christmas day, even if all it is for you is a day off.

We Wish You A...

....(insert appropriate seasonal event related greeting here).  The only thing I'll be doing this December 25th is sitting around the house eating cookies, candies, turkey, and chocolate pie.

Glad To Stay Home.

Barring a major emergency I have to reason to leave the house.  I'm very glad, because it's horribly cold today.  It's currently minus 29 C. with an extreme cold warning in effect because of the wind chill.  Daytime highs are supposed to stay below the minus 20 mark for the rest of the week.  This will be the coldest Christmas period in several years.  Last year's daytime high for December 25 was -14.6, balmy by comparison to today's predicted -24. 

Wind does make a difference to what a cold day feels like.  Minus 29 with a wind feels nastier than minus 29 with no wind. 

What I'm going to do tomorrow remains to be seen.  I had some plans, but this weather makes them somewhat more difficult to pull off than it would if it were warmer. 

A New Christmas Horror.

I don't know about where you are,  but in Saskatoon the malls have already started playing Christmas music.  As a result I heard a new horror the other day.  A dance version of "The Little Drummer Boy."

Whoever came up with that version,  you should be ashamed of yourself.

Standing In Line.

If you're reading this post while standing in line 12 hours or whatever before your local super whatever store opens, all I can do is shake my head.  Is a cheap whatever really worth the discomfort of standing around in cold weather with a bunch of strangers, when you could be at home with the family?  Of course it's possible you live someplace where the stores open on Christmas Day after 6 PM or something  and have already been in line for hours, which is probably even worse.

Those of you who live in places where Christmas is just another day can of course ignore this post.

Phony War.

If you're an American who has wondered if the "War on Christmas" idea has any play in Canada, now you know.  I came across this sign this morning on a local bus.  It's rather silly as far as I'm concerned.  Note that the first couple of lines are a slight variation on a classic phrase of Edmund Burke.  But really, not celebrating Christmas in a way acceptable to the sponsors of this sign is evil?  As is usually the case when I see someone use the phrase politcally incorrect without irony the feeling I get is the person in question wants the right to behave like a jerk.  They want their traditions respected, but are unwilling to do the same for others.

If they want to put "Christ back into Christmas" they should allow others to put paganism back into Christmas.  After all the Gospels don't actually give a date for Jesus' birth, since the writers apparently didn't think that this information was important. Instead later figures in Christianity adopted the date given its proximity to the Winter Solstice, which was celebrated by numerous cultures before Christianity. Many of the traditions we associate with the holiday also had existing roots.  When you think about it this was rather a clever move.  Not only would it appeal to possible converts by allowing them to continue celebrating a familiar cultural ritual, but it associated the birth of Jesus with the yearly birth of a new cycle in the depths of winter. 

Ironically many throughout the history of Christianity denounced the celebration of Christmas and/or its trappings like the Christmas tree.  It was even banned for a time in the United Kingdom and pre-revolutionary United States, and anti-Christmas beliefs persisted in much of the US afer the American Revolution.  Given that the US is the source for the "war on Christmas" idea this is especially amusing.

Gather Round The Tree.

Don't have a Christmas tree?  Feel free to spend some time around this one.  It's a humble one, and this photo really doesn't do it justice.

Enjoy the holidays, and try not to drink or eat too much.

When I Rule The World 4.

When I rule the world the song "The Little Drummer Boy" will be banned.

Another Sign Of Aging.

You're happy to get clothing for Christmas instead of being annoyed you didn't get something cool, like music, games, etcetera.

Have a happy and safe holiday season, even if it isn't holiday season where you are.

Too Early.

They're already playing Christmas music in the malls. Couldn't they have waited another couple of weeks?

Hope They're There.

I hope you're enjoying the holidays, and more importantly your family made it home. My brother managed to make it here before things really went bad this week. Hopefully your relatives aren't sitting in an airport someplace.

Ban It.

Admit it. There's at least one Christmas song you just don't want to hear. For me it's "The Little Drummer Boy." Someone take the kid's sticks away! Better yet, feed the poor boy, find him some place to live, and get him into school. After all he's a poor boy, and needs some better way to make his way in the world than banging on a ratty drum for whatever deity happens to decide to incarnate within walking distance.

Season's Greetings.

Merry Christmas to everyone passing through, and a tip of the hat to those of you who celebrate other things at this time of year. And for those of you who might be drinking in the next few days, please don't drive unless you're sure you're sober.