And the same to you. I have to tell you that I spent the last hour finishing Jonathan Karl’s latest book. What a great Christmas present to know there is hope to defeat the grinch in the New Year. So many good people are committed to saving democracy.
Some refrains that have stayed with me since I began to learn language as a babe:
Dan, Dan Uncle Dan.
Brushed his teeth with a frying pan, And combed his hair with the leg of a chair!
It ain’t gonna rain no more, no more. It ain’t gonna rain no more. Well how the heck
Can I wash my neck
If it ain’t gonna rain no more?
My Nanna held my hand and whispered a well-remembered evening prayer with me:
Now I lay me down to sleep. And Pray thee Lord my soul to keep. And if I die before I wake...
WAIT A MINUTE! I thought – fear rippling in my young breast, as I drifted into ‘seepy.’ Whadda ya mean, “If I die??? I’m only two-and-a-half-years old. I don’t wanna die!”
Well now I’m 86-years-old and I still don’t wanna die; but know that I must.
As a human and as a writer I try to seek truth in thought so that I can live my best life and, perhaps, help others do the same.
I drifted away from the Dutch Reformed Church at the young age of twelve. My parents were not religious, and neither was I for my many adult years.
Lately however, Daisy and I have been attending a Baptist church. We also participate in a Bible Study Fellowship program of weekly meetings. BSF is not associated with the Baptist Church. It is is a large international endeavor.
I’ve long believed that church attendance is a good thing to help people be part of a community and to seek Divine guidance.
The BSF gives me an opportunity to hang out with my son Jeff and grandsons Nick and Jeff, Jr., or Jeffrito as I like to call him. I enjoy being part of the group seeking God’s wisdom. Carol, my daughter-in-in-law, leads the Volusia County area BSF for women, so Daisy also participates.
I am troubled by the many inconsistencies and even contradictions in the Bible. I believe in the historical Jesus and his teachings. The essen'al thing is that I struggle to believe
in God as chronicled in the Holy Bible. I pick and choose the parts that I find comfor'ng and believable such as passages from Ma@hew:
“...Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord our God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
And
regarding charity: “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.”
And:
“... when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing...and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. When you pray, go into your room, close the door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen.
“Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”
And:
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name,
Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread,
Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.
For the Kingdom, the power, and the glory, are Yours.
Now and forever.
Amen.
I hope my Baptist church friends, my BSF friends, my family, and all to whom these premises come, will have mercy, and not cast me out. I need a hospital for sinners and not a club for saints. My faith is like a feeble flame, flickering on wet tinder and green wood.
I do now pray as instructed. But only HOPE for health and world peace.
Thanks again, have you read Eastern history of St. Issa? Archives in Tibetan Monastery? Where was Jesus during the hidden years after age 13 until 30 when he was baptized by John? Three Kings came from East. Interesting to see how his teachings match up with Eastern philosophy, Hindu etc.
In 1887, Russian war correspondent Nicolas Notovitch claimed that while at the Hemis Monastery in Ladakh, he had learned of a document called the "Life of Saint Issa, Best of the Sons of Men" – Isa being the Arabic name of Jesus in Islam.[29][30][31] Notovitch's story, with a translated text of the "Life of Saint Issa", was published in French in 1894 as La vie inconnue de Jesus Christ (Unknown Life of Jesus Christ).[5][3
I went down a rabbit hole a long time ago, reading about the theory of Jesus going to the East for the lost years. Have you read the Richard Carrier book? That one's a doozy...
No, I haven't. will do a search, thanks. It was interesting, Of course, the canon of scripture would not give it much credence. I guess it doesn't matter at this point, I'll ask Him sometime soon. I do consider Him an Ascended Master along with the others.. Love, Peace and many blessings to you and your family and our country.
I'm always amazed -- and grateful - at your deep historical knowledge, and ability to give current events such perspective. There is almost always such pearls in your work!
I'm so glad to have discovered you in this era we're going through. Thank you for that. Wishing you and your family a warm and happy Christmas, Mr. Olear. ✨
Merry Christmas to you and yours. May the season be filled with good cheer and goodwill. As was once said, keep those cards and letters coming, they are insightful and hopeful. We need hope and this is achieved by each and everyone casting a vote!
Dec 24, 2023·edited Dec 24, 2023Liked by Greg Olear
Nice! That photo is from the art-filled grounds of the NC Museum of Art in Raleigh--I used to go there often when I lived in Raleigh.
Well, I was raised Catholic and went to Catholic school and catechism until poverty forced us to attend public school (LOL). The Bible wasn’t much of a thing with St. Jude’s Church except at Xmas. Instead, we were treated to a cartoon story (on slides, as I recall) about a Mowgli-type jungle boy called “Cree Finds a Way”. And the Stations of the Cross (horrific). The nuns were unkind and often sadistic. I’ll never forget poor Sharon who, crying, pissed all over her chair and books underneath it because she was not allowed to go use the toilet... and then had her hands beaten with a ruler for that.
Much later, reading the bible (scattered parts of it, verses that were so unreal I had to look them up) turned me into an atheist, and an activist for secular government. Hallelujah!
I also went to a Catholic grade school through 7th grade, and I did run into a few sadistic nuns in my time. Sharon's story is heartbreaking, but that was the way it was then, and I'm still not sure why. Sadistic penguins!
They were also struggling with the admonition that they not have any friends, even among the nuns, because they needed to devote all their love to God.
"I'll never forget poor Sharon who, crying, pissed all over her chair and books underneath it because she was not allowed to go use the toilet.." This very same thing happened to me, Sue. I can't remember how old I was or what grade I was in, but I'll never forget the image of myself in church - after not being allowed to use the bathroom - standing in front of all the pews as pee ran down my thighs while I was forced to stand in line to enter the confessional.
I looked up "gyre" and that's what popped up. Amazing piece of sculpture. I didn't want to use another tired old painting of the wise men.
Poor Sharon. My parents went to Catholic school and had no great affection for the nuns. What was the point of all of that? To instill shame, I suppose.
I read the Bible one summer between college years. There are parts that are interesting, parts that are dull, and I don't understand how it could possibly be distilled into a uniform belief system, as it is full of contradictions and stuff that's just awful. Lot and his daughters, for example. Yuck.
I so appreciate Sundays with essays like this. As I just mentioned to another commenter, I attended a Catholic grade school through 7th grade and had LOTS of questions, which we were never encouraged to ask, and you got a bit of side-eye if you did. Then between 7th and 8th grades we moved out of Chicago due to the "changing neighborhoods," AKA "white flight," to the suburbs where for my last year of grade school I was thrown headfirst into a public school -- a literal "rude awakening!" As my indoctrination began to fade, questions were left unanswered until I could "Do My Own Research™." I'm still fascinated by the whole biblical story of Christ and have always tried to fit it into a historical context, but there was always a roadblock to fully realize it. There are still questions that I know, like the JFK assassination, will never be answered -- like what the HELL did He do between 12 and 30? There isn't even a diary? "Dear Diary, today I brought a bird back to life. Good day!"
But we go on anyway, wishing people a Merry Christmas every year, and why not? Without Christmas, there would be NO time on the calendar to, at least for a little while, come together as humans, and take stock. Even the MAGAts love Christmas! So, once again, Merry Christmas Greg, to you and your family, and to all reading this. And for Donald Trump, I always think of Lionel Barrymore in "It's a Wonderful Life" saying, "and a Happy New Year... IN JAIL!" 😂🎄🎄🎄
Great post, Steve! I remember distinctly that we were not to question anything they taught us. And, yes, it was a rude awakening once we started public school. The teachers loved me for being so well-behaved and the kids thought there was something wrong with me for being so well-behaved!
MAGAts love their version. Period. And why not. What would our commercial entities do without a spending frenzy, regularly scheduled and hyped to the heavens, literally.
I think maybe Yeats was also telling us that this "holy nativity" wasn't some one-off miraculous event, but that it happens every year as the "Magi" planets (guided by the stars), arrive to witness the birth of a new year at the "floor" of the winter solstice longest night.
(Or, maybe he didn't mean that at all and I just made that shit up...)
The only thing about Yeats’ poem that makes sense to me is what seems to be a prediction of a post-Christian era. Given the devolution of Evangelicalism that I’m observing in Washington and my own escape from its clutches, what I’m now left with in my personal experience of Christmas is nostalgia. There’s no Nativity scene in our house, or even a tree this year, but I’m listening to instrumental Christmas music as I write this. I don’t want the words thrown at me—I no longer believe them—but my mind supplies them anyway. So here I am enjoying the tunes that bring back so many memories that feel so pleasant (doesn’t the past always feel better than it was?), and the “little Lord Jesus,” inextricably embedded in those lyrics, is inevitably a part of my season. So are the Magi.
I have a Christmas playlist that I play in the operating room for my awake patients...mostly mellow Windham Hill/Enya/Sarah McLachlan...I still love it without believing it.
I am a lapsed Lutheran and I like church music, too.
Every time I hear O Holy Night, I think of my high school choir teacher, who was also the church choir director, baratone and his high school teacher wife, contralto, singing a duet at Christmas Eve 10pm service. Sent chills down my spine!
I still put up my creche, with the mother Mary representing the "birth" of the new year, since this festival is really all about soothing our visceral panic of the "dying time" with the shorter days, which, not coincidentally, we viscerally realize are lengthening again right around the arrival of the wise guys from the east. Then I can safely put The Family away for 11 months. Happy New Year!
In 1887, Russian war correspondent Nicolas Notovitch claimed that while at the Hemis Monastery in Ladakh, he had learned of a document called the "Life of Saint Issa, Best of the Sons of Men" – Isa being the Arabic name of Jesus in Islam.[29][30][31] Notovitch's story, with a translated text of the "Life of Saint Issa", was published in French in 1894 as La vie inconnue de Jesus Christ (Unknown Life of Jesus Christ).[5][3
I love that poem. Love Yeats in general. Do you think he had a "rough beast" in mind for the floor?
My own Magi poem was a riff on that, minus the genius, told from the point of view of one of the Magi realizing that they were being compelled into being frozen forever into someone else's narrative, their own story obliterated. I will never be great as Yeats, but I can be a damn sight more cynical.
(My poetry group had the challenge, "everybody has a Magi poem." )
Well, Greg, an interesting mix of history and poetry for Christmas Eve. Thank you for the gift of knowledge.
Thanks, Katharine, and Merry Christmas!
And the same to you. I have to tell you that I spent the last hour finishing Jonathan Karl’s latest book. What a great Christmas present to know there is hope to defeat the grinch in the New Year. So many good people are committed to saving democracy.
Happy holidays and thank you for all you do!
You too, Teresa!
You done it again. Rang my bell. Thanks.
Articles of Faith
By Bill Serle
Some refrains that have stayed with me since I began to learn language as a babe:
Dan, Dan Uncle Dan.
Brushed his teeth with a frying pan, And combed his hair with the leg of a chair!
It ain’t gonna rain no more, no more. It ain’t gonna rain no more. Well how the heck
Can I wash my neck
If it ain’t gonna rain no more?
My Nanna held my hand and whispered a well-remembered evening prayer with me:
Now I lay me down to sleep. And Pray thee Lord my soul to keep. And if I die before I wake...
WAIT A MINUTE! I thought – fear rippling in my young breast, as I drifted into ‘seepy.’ Whadda ya mean, “If I die??? I’m only two-and-a-half-years old. I don’t wanna die!”
Well now I’m 86-years-old and I still don’t wanna die; but know that I must.
As a human and as a writer I try to seek truth in thought so that I can live my best life and, perhaps, help others do the same.
I drifted away from the Dutch Reformed Church at the young age of twelve. My parents were not religious, and neither was I for my many adult years.
Lately however, Daisy and I have been attending a Baptist church. We also participate in a Bible Study Fellowship program of weekly meetings. BSF is not associated with the Baptist Church. It is is a large international endeavor.
I’ve long believed that church attendance is a good thing to help people be part of a community and to seek Divine guidance.
The BSF gives me an opportunity to hang out with my son Jeff and grandsons Nick and Jeff, Jr., or Jeffrito as I like to call him. I enjoy being part of the group seeking God’s wisdom. Carol, my daughter-in-in-law, leads the Volusia County area BSF for women, so Daisy also participates.
I am troubled by the many inconsistencies and even contradictions in the Bible. I believe in the historical Jesus and his teachings. The essen'al thing is that I struggle to believe
in God as chronicled in the Holy Bible. I pick and choose the parts that I find comfor'ng and believable such as passages from Ma@hew:
“...Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord our God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
And
regarding charity: “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.”
And:
“... when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing...and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. When you pray, go into your room, close the door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen.
“Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”
And:
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name,
Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread,
Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.
For the Kingdom, the power, and the glory, are Yours.
Now and forever.
Amen.
I hope my Baptist church friends, my BSF friends, my family, and all to whom these premises come, will have mercy, and not cast me out. I need a hospital for sinners and not a club for saints. My faith is like a feeble flame, flickering on wet tinder and green wood.
I do now pray as instructed. But only HOPE for health and world peace.
Amen.
Billserle.com
Thanks for sharing, Bill. Merry Christmas!
You are good! Thoroughly enjoyed that analysis. Have a great New Year
Thanks, Richard. You too!
Thanks again, have you read Eastern history of St. Issa? Archives in Tibetan Monastery? Where was Jesus during the hidden years after age 13 until 30 when he was baptized by John? Three Kings came from East. Interesting to see how his teachings match up with Eastern philosophy, Hindu etc.
Would be interesting to know more about that.
Nicolas Notovich, 1887
Main article: Nicolas Notovitch
Nicolas Notovitch
In 1887, Russian war correspondent Nicolas Notovitch claimed that while at the Hemis Monastery in Ladakh, he had learned of a document called the "Life of Saint Issa, Best of the Sons of Men" – Isa being the Arabic name of Jesus in Islam.[29][30][31] Notovitch's story, with a translated text of the "Life of Saint Issa", was published in French in 1894 as La vie inconnue de Jesus Christ (Unknown Life of Jesus Christ).[5][3
I went down a rabbit hole a long time ago, reading about the theory of Jesus going to the East for the lost years. Have you read the Richard Carrier book? That one's a doozy...
No, I haven't. will do a search, thanks. It was interesting, Of course, the canon of scripture would not give it much credence. I guess it doesn't matter at this point, I'll ask Him sometime soon. I do consider Him an Ascended Master along with the others.. Love, Peace and many blessings to you and your family and our country.
https://www.st-barnabas.org/book-club-1/lamb%3A-the-gospel-according-to-biff%2C-christ%E2%80%99s-childhood-pal
Christopher Moore's character Biff explains where Jesus was:
https://www.st-barnabas.org/book-club-1/lamb%3A-the-gospel-according-to-biff%2C-christ%E2%80%99s-childhood-pal
I'm always amazed -- and grateful - at your deep historical knowledge, and ability to give current events such perspective. There is almost always such pearls in your work!
I'm so glad to have discovered you in this era we're going through. Thank you for that. Wishing you and your family a warm and happy Christmas, Mr. Olear. ✨
Thanks so much, Silvia. I'm glad to hear that. Merry Christmas!
Let’s celebrate solstice’s return of the light and leave imaginary gods and old mens’ fairy tales behind in the dark. Happy & Peaceful Holidays! 🎄
I’m with you on that thought Kirsten!
Amen, amen, amen.
Awomen, awomen, awomen.
Merry Christmas to you and yours. May the season be filled with good cheer and goodwill. As was once said, keep those cards and letters coming, they are insightful and hopeful. We need hope and this is achieved by each and everyone casting a vote!
Thank you, good sir. Merry Christmas to you and your too!
Nice! That photo is from the art-filled grounds of the NC Museum of Art in Raleigh--I used to go there often when I lived in Raleigh.
Well, I was raised Catholic and went to Catholic school and catechism until poverty forced us to attend public school (LOL). The Bible wasn’t much of a thing with St. Jude’s Church except at Xmas. Instead, we were treated to a cartoon story (on slides, as I recall) about a Mowgli-type jungle boy called “Cree Finds a Way”. And the Stations of the Cross (horrific). The nuns were unkind and often sadistic. I’ll never forget poor Sharon who, crying, pissed all over her chair and books underneath it because she was not allowed to go use the toilet... and then had her hands beaten with a ruler for that.
Much later, reading the bible (scattered parts of it, verses that were so unreal I had to look them up) turned me into an atheist, and an activist for secular government. Hallelujah!
I also went to a Catholic grade school through 7th grade, and I did run into a few sadistic nuns in my time. Sharon's story is heartbreaking, but that was the way it was then, and I'm still not sure why. Sadistic penguins!
I had a few nuns that were cool, but I think the nasty ones were just struggling miserably with celibacy.
They were also struggling with the admonition that they not have any friends, even among the nuns, because they needed to devote all their love to God.
It's the original cult, from which all the modern cult training techniques derive.
The original cult, best description yet
That is the most logical explanation.
They want to instill shame, I think. Intentionally or otherwise.
Shame and Fear. If The Church had parenting classes in those days, these would be The Art of Discipline's chapters 1 & 2.
"I'll never forget poor Sharon who, crying, pissed all over her chair and books underneath it because she was not allowed to go use the toilet.." This very same thing happened to me, Sue. I can't remember how old I was or what grade I was in, but I'll never forget the image of myself in church - after not being allowed to use the bathroom - standing in front of all the pews as pee ran down my thighs while I was forced to stand in line to enter the confessional.
What a horrible thing to do to a child.
I looked up "gyre" and that's what popped up. Amazing piece of sculpture. I didn't want to use another tired old painting of the wise men.
Poor Sharon. My parents went to Catholic school and had no great affection for the nuns. What was the point of all of that? To instill shame, I suppose.
I read the Bible one summer between college years. There are parts that are interesting, parts that are dull, and I don't understand how it could possibly be distilled into a uniform belief system, as it is full of contradictions and stuff that's just awful. Lot and his daughters, for example. Yuck.
I always learn something new...didn't know calvarium and calvary were related. Makes sense
I was surprised, too..."Calvary" is such a British-sounding word, I didn't think it was Latin at all.
I so appreciate Sundays with essays like this. As I just mentioned to another commenter, I attended a Catholic grade school through 7th grade and had LOTS of questions, which we were never encouraged to ask, and you got a bit of side-eye if you did. Then between 7th and 8th grades we moved out of Chicago due to the "changing neighborhoods," AKA "white flight," to the suburbs where for my last year of grade school I was thrown headfirst into a public school -- a literal "rude awakening!" As my indoctrination began to fade, questions were left unanswered until I could "Do My Own Research™." I'm still fascinated by the whole biblical story of Christ and have always tried to fit it into a historical context, but there was always a roadblock to fully realize it. There are still questions that I know, like the JFK assassination, will never be answered -- like what the HELL did He do between 12 and 30? There isn't even a diary? "Dear Diary, today I brought a bird back to life. Good day!"
But we go on anyway, wishing people a Merry Christmas every year, and why not? Without Christmas, there would be NO time on the calendar to, at least for a little while, come together as humans, and take stock. Even the MAGAts love Christmas! So, once again, Merry Christmas Greg, to you and your family, and to all reading this. And for Donald Trump, I always think of Lionel Barrymore in "It's a Wonderful Life" saying, "and a Happy New Year... IN JAIL!" 😂🎄🎄🎄
Great post, Steve! I remember distinctly that we were not to question anything they taught us. And, yes, it was a rude awakening once we started public school. The teachers loved me for being so well-behaved and the kids thought there was something wrong with me for being so well-behaved!
Merry Christmas to you and yours, too!
And to you, Lynell!
"Dear Diary, today I brought a bird back to life. Good day!" OMG, ha!
Richard Carrier has a book about the lost years that makes a very compelling case.
Merry Christmas, Steve!
On the Historicity of Jesus: Why We Might Have Reason for Doubt https://g.co/kgs/6QNDmd
MAGAts love their version. Period. And why not. What would our commercial entities do without a spending frenzy, regularly scheduled and hyped to the heavens, literally.
Rob Reiner's current podcast series has answered most of my questions re: JFK'S killer(s). Stunning:
https://www.cnn.com/videos/us/2023/11/20/who-killed-jfk-podcast-reiner-sot-cnntm-vpx.cnn
Thanks, MaryPat, I will check that out, but this is it! LOL, I've been saying that for 40 years. Happy New Year!
I think maybe Yeats was also telling us that this "holy nativity" wasn't some one-off miraculous event, but that it happens every year as the "Magi" planets (guided by the stars), arrive to witness the birth of a new year at the "floor" of the winter solstice longest night.
(Or, maybe he didn't mean that at all and I just made that shit up...)
Merry Christmas to all!
That's a damned good read of the poem, Rick. I wish I'd thought of that!
Merry Christmas!
The only thing about Yeats’ poem that makes sense to me is what seems to be a prediction of a post-Christian era. Given the devolution of Evangelicalism that I’m observing in Washington and my own escape from its clutches, what I’m now left with in my personal experience of Christmas is nostalgia. There’s no Nativity scene in our house, or even a tree this year, but I’m listening to instrumental Christmas music as I write this. I don’t want the words thrown at me—I no longer believe them—but my mind supplies them anyway. So here I am enjoying the tunes that bring back so many memories that feel so pleasant (doesn’t the past always feel better than it was?), and the “little Lord Jesus,” inextricably embedded in those lyrics, is inevitably a part of my season. So are the Magi.
I left the church ages ago, and don't believe in it, but I still listen to Catholic church music sometimes when I write. It's very soothing.
I have a Christmas playlist that I play in the operating room for my awake patients...mostly mellow Windham Hill/Enya/Sarah McLachlan...I still love it without believing it.
I am a lapsed Lutheran and I like church music, too.
Every time I hear O Holy Night, I think of my high school choir teacher, who was also the church choir director, baratone and his high school teacher wife, contralto, singing a duet at Christmas Eve 10pm service. Sent chills down my spine!
Love the old hymns, Just because they trigger nostalgia. Probably true for many
So are the ads.
I still put up my creche, with the mother Mary representing the "birth" of the new year, since this festival is really all about soothing our visceral panic of the "dying time" with the shorter days, which, not coincidentally, we viscerally realize are lengthening again right around the arrival of the wise guys from the east. Then I can safely put The Family away for 11 months. Happy New Year!
Nicolas Notovich, 1887
Main article: Nicolas Notovitch
Nicolas Notovitch
In 1887, Russian war correspondent Nicolas Notovitch claimed that while at the Hemis Monastery in Ladakh, he had learned of a document called the "Life of Saint Issa, Best of the Sons of Men" – Isa being the Arabic name of Jesus in Islam.[29][30][31] Notovitch's story, with a translated text of the "Life of Saint Issa", was published in French in 1894 as La vie inconnue de Jesus Christ (Unknown Life of Jesus Christ).[5][3
I love that poem. Love Yeats in general. Do you think he had a "rough beast" in mind for the floor?
My own Magi poem was a riff on that, minus the genius, told from the point of view of one of the Magi realizing that they were being compelled into being frozen forever into someone else's narrative, their own story obliterated. I will never be great as Yeats, but I can be a damn sight more cynical.
(My poetry group had the challenge, "everybody has a Magi poem." )
I like that idea, Susan...that's a great take.
(Do I have a Magi poem? Hmmm...)
This one got me to subscribe after more Han a year of lurking in the background.
Thanks so much, Josh! Much appreciated.
Merry Christmas!