Is Christmas about Christ, or is it about reindeer?

Why, yes.

Christmas is a celebration of the virgin birth of Jesus the Christ, Y’shua the Messiah, in a manger in Bethlehem. It’s a tale of wise men (who weren’t there) and shepherds (who were).

It’s also a celebration of the dead of Winter, a memory of the cold days of the Little Ice Age in Europe — and perhaps some dim memory of even colder days past in a real Ice Age. The last warmth of Summer is gone by the time of the solstice, and we have time to gather together in our little hovels and share the fruits of our year’s labor with those we love.

So while some consider the holiday’s origins pagan, it’s ours now.  Merry Christmas!

And to those who find a dichotomy in the dualism, who see a conflict between magical reindeer and frankincense, I say: quit being humbugs. Sing about Rudolph, enjoy your stocking stuffers, blow your wad at Wal-Mart, and give shelter to needy travelers.

Because Christmas is Christmas, and there’s no need to pin it down more than that.

(Expanded from an old post at the Academy.  Thanks to LayoutSparks.com for the pic.)