For The Eleventh Day Of Christmas: A Case For Keeping Christ OUT Of Christmas

William C. Wood, professor of economics at James Madison University, believes our national celebration of Christmas has become so pagan and anti-Christian that we ought to just call it a "Merry Excessmas"--and call the Christian celebration something else, like "Holy Nativity".

Dr. Wood had an op ed piece promoting this idea published in the Wall Street Journal a number of years ago, and has been crusading for this change ever since. Just separating the two celebrations, he believes, would make things a lot cleaner and clearer. Let the rest of the world have the greed-based holiday Christmas has become.

There's a lot to be said for Dr. Wood's idea, and maybe if we are really serious about observing Christmas, we should remember that according to the Christian calendar, most of December has never been intended be "Merry," but a hopeful and prayerful time of waiting we call Advent. The traditional Advent season ends with the celebration of Nativity, which begins on Christmas Eve and continues through the "Twelve Days of Christmas," this being the eleventh day. 

So in keeping with our Christian tradition, we should be celebrating neither "Holy Nativity" nor "Merry Christmas" until December 25 actually arrives, at which time we should begin our festivity with abandonment.

More on that tomorrow.