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the G-man said:
'O Holiday Tree, O Holiday Tree'

    ]Lowe's, a leading home improvement retailer, has joined Target and many other retailers that are striving to be "politically correct" this Christmas shopping season. He says the Lowe's stores are now selling fresh-cut "holiday" trees.

    "The second-largest home improvement company in America no longer sells Christmas trees," he says. "They've decided that it's more politically correct to sell 'holiday' trees -- therefore their signs in front of their stores [say they] will sell you a 'holiday' tree."

    Sharp calls the strategy "just another ridiculous example" of how companies are avoiding the true meaning of Christmas in their marketing in an attempt to prevent offending anyone. "[But] in reality," says Sharp, "they're offending a large base of their consumers."

    He adds "this is the most ridiculous thing I believe I've heard this Christmas season, for a company to become so politically correct."


I wonder they market Menorahs as "Holiday Candle Holders"?



You have a tremendous grasp of the obvious, G-man. The end of December never has been an exclusive Christian holiday. So take the knot out of your T-strap and relax. For the record, as a Pagan I have no problem with 'Christmas'. It sounds so much better than Saturnalia or Dies Natalis Invicti Solis.

The Winter Solstice


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December 25 is the winter solstice (Julian Calendar). It is the time when the sun after having been at the lowest point in the heavens, beings to rise over the world with renewed vigor and power. It was the time of heathen festivities in worship of the sun. The vernal equinox is the point where the sun crosses the celetial equator, about March 20, making day and night of equal length everywhere. This was the time of pagan spring festivals.

The day of December 25 acquired a new significance under the rule of Emperor Aurelian. He proclaimed this day as "Dies Natalis Invicti Solis," or the Birthday of the Unconquered Sun. This was because of a strange Eastern religion, Mithraism, whose god Mithras was identified with the Unconquered Sun. During the Saturnalia work of every kind ceased. Schools were closed.

Saturn, in whose honor this feast was held, was the oldest and most benign deity in ancient Italy and was fabled to have reigned during the Golden Age. This was conceived by the Romans as an era in which plenty abounded and nothing had appeared to corrupt and mar the peace and happiness of mankind. But since that time the world had gone from bad to worse. The lust of gold and the lust of blood had brought disastrous evils. The dream of an Age of Gold was widespread in the pre-Christian world. The Greeks taught men to think of it as followed by the Silver, Bronze, and Iron Ages. These ages marked the steady declension and degeneration of mankind. But they looked for the eventual return of a Gold Era. This spirit of Gentile expectancy was that of a millenial, and King Saturn would reign.

As the Saturnalia returned each year it brought with it thoughts of the peaceful reign of Saturn long, long ago, when all men were happy and all men were good.

The Roman Saturnalia was boisterous. But whatever the behavior of some Romans, others were simply merry. They ate big dinners, visited their friends, etc. The halls of the Romans were decked with boughs of laurel and of green trees, with lighted candles and with lamps--for the hovering spirits of darkness were afraid of light. Bonfires were lit in high places to strengthen the reviving sun in his course. Candles and green wreaths were given as presents, the streets were crowded with noisy processions of men and women carrying lighted tapers, and public places were decked with flowers and shrubs. The practice of giving and receiving presents was almost as common then as it is now at Christmas. Our present day "Christmas spirit" is actually the spirit of this old Roman festival.