By By Janet Little Cooper
Recently, I read that 95 percent of Americans celebrate Christmas. I realize that all 95 percent may not know what they are celebrating other than a day off and presents galore, but just the same, it is hard to understand the logic of removing the word Christmas in everything associated with that specific day.
You just can't simply have Christmas without Christ. Christ is in the name and his birth is the reason for the day. It would be like taking all the presidents out of President's Day. It would have no purpose.
Furthermore, the same people who are refraining from speaking the word, Christmas, are the ones who should be the most thankful and aware of the true reason, because Christmas is one of the largest shopping times of the year. If it weren't for Christ birth, they wouldn't have a day to market and for that matter none of us would be here to say "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Holidays".
This week I received a young boy's letter to Santa. Turns out it was not a typical letter to Santa. The child didn't ask for a thing, instead he told the woes of preserving Christmas in the year 2005. The letter came as a result of a talk the father had with his young son about the true meaning of Christmas and the status of this special day in a less than perfect society.
You will clearly see that the father helped quite a bit with the content, but will enjoy it all the same.
Dear Santa Clause,
My name is Colin and I am 4 and 3/4 years old. My baby sister is 10 months old. Her name is Caitlin. This is her first Christmas but not mine.
You see Santa; this isn't my first rodeo if you know what I mean. Christmas is just not like it was in the good old days, like when I was 11 months old.
Back then you could say "Merry Christmas" without having someone tell you that "Merry Christmas" is wrong and that "Happy Holidays" is the correct term.
Did you know that I couldn't even call you Santa Clause at my preschool? I am told to call you Kris Kringle or Holiday figure.
I don't know why they are picking on you, because Jesus is the one they are really after. There are some people in this world who don't like him, but for me, I love him.
So if I choose to celebrate his birthday with a Christmas tree or Christmas songs, I have to do it at home or church.
Even Christmas songs, lights, and parades have been replaced with "Holiday" songs, lights and parades.
My dad and me got up early Saturday morning to go buy a Christmas tree. We rode all day and half the night but couldn't find any Christmas tree.
We decided to head to the woods on Sunday before church services and cut one down. We probably could have bought one of those "Holiday" Trees, but they aren't as pretty as those Christmas Trees.
We had to cut down a small Christmas tree where it would fit in our mobile home. Oh yeah, we live in a mobile home so we don't have a chimney and Dad says we can't leave the door unlocked because the people who don't believe in Christmas will come in our home and steal our stuff and sell it to buy drugs with.
So, if you would, just knock on the back door and Dad will let you in.
I will go ahead and apologize for the milk and cookies, they are fat free. But that is another story. Email me sometime and I will tell you about it.
Do you remember seeing me in the mall the other day? I was the little boy hollering "Git- R-Done Santa".
I have been a really good boy this year and Caitlin has been good too.
So, with that said, I have enclosed me and Caitlin's Christmas list. I made it for you on Microsoft PowerPoint. It has links where your elves can purchase the toys online.
Colin and Caitlin
Janet Little Cooper is lifestyles reporter for the Atmore Advance. Her column appears weekly.