Merry Christmas, Everyone

We're heading up to Chicago early for Christmas this year, so I just wanted to wish all of my many readers (Hi, George!) a very merry Christmas and all the best in the new year.  Of course, I will be posting between Christmas and New Year's Day, but I thought I'd bring all of the good wishes into one post.  That way, I can be cranky the rest of the time (you know it's true).

Everybody's heard about the various attempts to take Christmas out of the mainstream.  All of the "you can't call it a *Christmas* tree..it's a *Holiday* tree!" controversies, and things like that.  I sometimes wonder if, within a decade or two, Christmas won't be as public a holiday as it used to be.  It will always be celebrated, of course, but there seems to be an attempt to take Christmas out of the public venue.

So it really heartens me to see things like the fact that radio stations still give over their airwaves for Christmas music for 24 hours (and some for a couple of weeks) and the many Christmas messages being put out by various companies.  And the radio stations don't just play secular Christmas songs either, but religious ones as well.

Whatever the case, I hope you all have a Merry Christmas, and I will see you on the 27th!  I'll be en route on the 26th, so won't be posting then either.