COMMENTARY
MILT THOMAS
I have many photo albums from my childhood. My parents were probably ahead of their time in terms of recording family events, both still photos and movies. I can find at least one photo from just about every Christmas in my 18 years before life changed and I went to college. However, I have very few photos from my 18 birthdays.
Frankly, I don’t even have many birthday memories, nor am I interested in creating new ones at my age. But every year, when Christmas rolls around, the decorations go up, listen to the same time honored Christmas songs, watch all the Christmas specials on television, see the presents under the tree, and there I am, reliving the most precious moments of my childhood.
It is a time of nostalgia, longing for a simpler world, surrounded by all the people no longer with us. But it is not a sad time. It is a time of celebration, a celebration that goes so far back in our history that it must be genetic.
We celebrate Christmas as Christians because it is the time when God’s only son was born. It is a time of worship, of joy and commitment. Some feel that should be the only reason to celebrate, that Christmas is too commercialized, but whatever your feelings, it is a time that has meaning in many cultures, even where Christians are a minority.
The fact is that this time of year has been celebrated long before Christ was born. It had different names in different cultures, but it was the time of the winter solstice, signifying longer days ahead and the promise of good fortune, actually the start of a new year. Back then, they celebrated as we do today, families and friends came together, trees were decorated, mistletoe was hung. Yes, many of our customs today actually had their origin in a time beyond our collective memory. Others have been added over the 2000 years since that first Christmas, like gift giving, caroling, and of course, Santa Claus. But does does any of that take away from the celebration of Christmas? Of course not.
The point is this. Christmas may mean different things to different people, but we can all agree that it is the most glorious time of year, a holiday that fills us with joy, anticipation, togetherness and peace. The only regret we should have is that it only happens once a year.
So Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good time.
Indian River Guardian 
Great column, Milt! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year and the whole staff of Inside Vero!
I never even HAD a birthday party until I was an adult, since my natal day is in December–and considered too close to Christmas. But the families were together at both Thanksgiving and Christmas – usually at the Davis farm in Southern Indiana. Such a wonderful bunch of baked goodies and tasty veggies and meats were always available. Always had good memories of Christmas pageants at the little church on the hill. Christmas was fragrant – evergreen trees, the smell of tangerines or oranges peeled. Not everyone celebrated the same way but it didn’t seem to matter then. Happy Holidays (Christmas and New Years) to you, your family, and the whole Inside Vero cast of characters.
Christmas is my favorite time of the year because each year allows me the opportunity to create new Christmas memories and I am able to replace the horrid ones of my youth. Since I now live in an alcohol free home, I enjoy the bliss of the preace and quiet. Since I have a comfortable pension, i don’t have to make decisions like my mother did in choosing between buying presents and paying the electric bill.
Perhaps it is precisely because I associate Christmas with those without means that this particular Christmas is special to me. I am grateful that the article on Our Father’s Table will fulfill the needs of so many who do not have the reasons to enjoy Christmas as I have had since I began to earn a paycheck.
I am grateful for every day that my husband and I can enjoy living in paradise. I am especially grateful though that I have met so many wonderful people who are my true treasures in this holiday season.This is the time of year when I catch up with old friends the old fashioned way with newsy Christmas cards so each trip to pick up my mail is like Christmas eve. The greetings that I have received to date have made me both laugh and cry. Mostly it has left me wondering how did I get so old that friends are telling me about their 54th wedding anniversary or worrying about turning 70 in 2014.
Happy holidays to the Inside Vero team, my family and friends who are the best presents that make Christmas so joyous.
From my house to your house, Merry Christmas to all of you at InsideVero and especially to you Milt for this wonderful piece. You might just want to copy and paste every year because it will be hard to top.
I do not celebrate Christmas in a religious way however, I truly love this time of year and I love the trappings that go along with Christmas. Last night hubby and I drove around town to look at some of the more notable light displays and it tells us how important this holiday is to a lot of folks. Merry Christmas to all of you.