Merry Mithras

Christmas Gripe #1
If one more of my Facebook lunatic "friends" (and by "friends" I mean these people who I went to high school with SIXTEEN (holy shit I'm old) years ago) invites me to join the group "put Christ back into Christmas" I might lose my shit. Christmas is my favorite holiday and I work at a church so I get the Christy-ness of Christmas but come on people who gives a shit. Jesus wasn't born on the 25th (sorry...darn you science and history.)

You know who was born on the 25th, Mithras, the Persian god of light. In a nutshell; way back in the olden times Constantine the Great after some vision or really drunken night had a vision about a cross and light. In order to unify his empire he did what Christianity has done a LOT...he blended some of the pagan traditions (halos are another one...angels too I think) with the Christian ones and tada we have Jesus' birthday on the 25th. So today's Christmas is such a giant amalgamation of this and that...lights, trees, angels, fruitcakes...that you do what you want and leave me alone.
Some other interesting Mithras facts:
Mithra was born of a virgin on December 25th in a cave.
Mithra’s followers were promised immortality.
As the "great bull of the Sun," Mithra sacrificed himself for world peace.

Since I do work at a church I should also say that I think there are rituals and traditions that work for people and that can have some relevance if you take the time to practice. Advent: waiting, slowing, thoughtfulness for example. I'm not ragging on Christians or Christmas I am ragging on "Christians" that think they own December have a monopoly on the season.

Mithras Gripe #2
This all leads me to my second Mithras gripe...who gives a shit if someone wishes you Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanza, Merry Mithras. This whole thing is just stupid. I get that we need to be sensitive to other's beliefs but come on, when I wish someone a Merry Christmas I'm not trying to convert them to Christianity (I mean I'm barely Christian myself.) And if you are offended you need to get a life. These greetings usually come from a really good place...someone is happy and enjoying the season and they want to wish you the same. These are more like "have a nice day" than "join me in worshiping the one true god" **rolls eyes** If someone wishes you a Happy Holiday or Hanukkah or Kwanza the appropriate response is "THANK YOU!" and if you want, then wish them something in return. I think all this effort and angst over Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas is a giant waste of energy. Don't you really think that there are better things to worry about? And BTW if there is a God, do you think he/she/it gives a flying fuck....or would he/she/it be happy that for once we humans are being nice to each other

Postscript: I think that from now on I will be wishing everyone a Merry Mithras, cause it sounds kinda gay....like a queen with a severe speech impediment.