Christmas banned????

It seems that the Montgomery County, MD school district has removed religious holidays from its school calendar with the expected upset from the usual crowd.

What they seem to forget is that the war on Christmas began pretty much from the start of when it began to be celebrated in Roman times since most people knew that it was Saturnalia being repackaged.  Additionally, there has never really been any consensus as to what date would actually be that of Jesus' birth.  Anyway,  It wasn't until the Puritans came around and wanted to remove pagan influences from everyday life that the celebrations were muted down a whole lot:

That was the reason that George Washington attacked the Hessian forces in Trenton, NJ on Christmas Eve: It wasn't a holiday for the Continental soldiers. In fact, the US Congress was in session on December 25, 1789, the first Christmas under America’s new constitution. Gradually, some states made it a legal holiday with the first three states to make Christmas a legal holiday were in the South: Alabama in 1836, Louisiana and Arkansas in 1838. Christmas was finally proclaimed a holiday by the United States Congress in 1870: 81 years after the founding of the US.

The modern concept of Christmas appeared about the time Charles Dickens penned his "A Christmas Carol" in the 1840s and was helped along by Queen Victoria. Historian Stephen Nissenbaum contends that the modern celebration in the United States was developed in New York State from defunct and imagined Dutch and English traditions in order to refocus the holiday from one where groups of young men went from house to house demanding alcohol and food into one centered on the happiness of children.

The real problem with Christmas is that there are both secular and religious celebrations of the holiday with the addition that the two different parts of the Christian Church Eastern and Western celebrate the holiday a couple of weeks apart.  In fact, how many people actually know what exactly  is meant by the 12 Days of Christmas, let alone still celebrate them?  In fact, you could have a seriously long Christmas celebration if you wanted to begin with Advent and go to Candlemas. I've heard some celebrations begin with All Saints Day and go to Candlemas.

Maybe you get the picture here, or maybe you don't.  The bottom line is that the US has some serious decisions to make if they truly want to place "Christ in Christmas". 

Especially, since some Christian sects still don't see it as a Christian holiday.

Maybe the solution is to just take the Month of December off work.

The World Turned Upside Down

Since we are getting into how screwed up things can be when one forgets the lessons of history, or succombs to a more pleasing revised version of history, I present the ballad The World Turned Upside Down.

This was first published on a broadside in 1643 as a protest against the policies of Parliament relating to the celebration of Christmas. Parliament believed the holiday should be a solemn occasion, and outlawed traditional English Christmas celebrations. There are several versions of the lyrics. It is sung to the tune of another ballad, "When the King Enjoys His Own Again".

Listen to me and you shall hear, news hath not been this thousand year:

Since Herod, Caesar, and many more, you never heard the like before.

Holy-dayes are despis'd, new fashions are devis'd.

Old Christmas is kicked out of Tow

Yet let's be content, and the times lament, you see the world turn'd upside down.

The wise men did rejoyce to see our Savior Christs Nativity:

The Angels did good tidings bring, the Sheepheards did rejoyce and sing.

Let all honest men, take example by them.

Why should we from good Laws be bound?

Yet let's be content, and the times lament, you see the world turn'd upside down.

Command is given, we must obey, and quite forget old Christmas day:

Kill a thousand men, or a Town regain, we will give thanks and praise amain.

The wine pot shall clinke, we will feast and drinke.

And then strange motions will abound.

Yet let's be content, and the times lament, you see the world turn'd upside down.

Our Lords and Knights, and Gentry too, doe mean old fashions to forgoe:

They set a porter at the gate, that none must enter in thereat.

They count it a sin, when poor people come in.

Hospitality it selfe is drown'd.

Yet let's be content, and the times lament, you see the world turn'd upside down.

The serving men doe sit and whine, and thinke it long ere dinner time:

The Butler's still out of the way, or else my Lady keeps the key,

The poor old cook, in the larder doth look,

Where is no goodnesse to be found,

Yet let's be content, and the times lament, you see the world turn'd upside down.

To conclude, I'le tell you news that's right, Christmas was kil'd at Naseby fight:

Charity was slain at that same time, Jack Tell troth too, a friend of mine,

Likewise then did die, rost beef and shred pie,

Pig, Goose and Capon no quarter found.

Yet let's be content, and the times lament, you see the world turn'd upside down.

Of course, those who take the term "Conservative", yet are hardly holding to traditional attitudes and values and cautious about change or innovation, are more than willing to turn the world upside down.

Even more amusing are the ancestors of the Puritans who want to put "Christ back into Christmas" when Christians were trying to ignore the holiday because of its pagan connections.