Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas! Uh… No, that’s not right,
Happy Nativity! Oh, I mean,
Happy Holidays! Shit, um…,
Season’s Greetings!
Why has it become so hard to express the joy of this season, the celebration of life and redemption in the midst of winter’s death and forsakenness? I recently read an evangelical tract (I know not why?) that disputes the use of the phrase, “Merry Christmas,” because “Merry” meaning “joyful” should never be coupled with “Cristes Maesse,” literally the liturgical memorial of Christ’s atoning death on the Cross. The writer considers it perverse to celebrate Christ’s death with fanfare. He is quite right, of course, that is why the mood of Good Friday is so disconsonant with that of Easter Sunday.
Nevertheless, he misses a poignant fact: “Merry” doesn’t only connote joyousness and jubilation, contextually it also means “blessed” or “peaceful”. He also ignores the fact that the “Mass” memorializes Christ’s atoning sacrifice everyday of the year and the singular moment within the “Mass” wherein the Eucharist is consecrated and the Sacrifice of Christ is memorialized (and in Roman theology, also participates in the once-for-all, yet eternal Sacrifice of Christ) is one of solemn thanksgiving and somber reflection. It is otherwise distinct from the tone and mood of the liturgy, only Good Friday’s liturgy entirely encompasses the mood of the Sacrifice of Christ.
When we say, “Merry Christmas,” we are essentially saying, “Have a blessed (and joyful) ritual celebration of Christ’s Birth”. This, however, leads to another problem. Christmas, Chanukah, and the more recent (and somewhat artificial) Kwanzaa have been integrated by our secular culture into the “Winter Holidays”! It has become politically-correct to substitute exclusive greetings, like “Merry Christmas” and “Happy Chanukah,” with more inclusive one’s like, “Happy Holidays”.
Act Now Against Government Censorship
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Our Carbon Emissions
I know it doesn’t factor everything in, but according to the EPA’s Household Emissions Calculator: Jennifer, Charles, and I contribute approximately 2,059 pounds of CO₂ per year per household member. Since Charles’ contribution is marginal, I didn’t factor him in; the sum total therefore being: 4,117 pounds of CO₂ per year. Since the average emissions per person in the United States are 20,750 pounds per year, I’m feeling really good right now. Jennifer and I take sensible (relatively non-invasive) initiatives to reduce waste and live responsibly, so I guess we should at least keep doing what we’re doing and think about offsetting our emissions further.
We presently receive 20% wind-generated energy from our power supplier, maybe next year we’ll consider increasing that to 100%. To afford doing that we would have to find ways to reduce our electricity use even further than we already have. More efficient appliances and electronics (our lighting is already CFLs only, good LED bulbs are still too expensive) and less use during peak-hours might help.
We drive a 2007 Toyota Corolla that is maintenanced regularly and driven minimally (about 5,000 miles a year, well below the average American’s annual mileage), but buying an even more efficient vehicle is financially unspeakable.
Furthermore, we have a largely plant-based diet where meat is a secondary component (à la Michael Pollan); 40% of our food is locally-sourced and about 60% is organically grown. Increasing those percentages would certainly help.
We buy most of our clothing and furniture gently used and only when absolutely necessary. I think we have bought 95% of Charlie’s clothes and toys through consignment resale stores. Although, I have the hardest time finding used clothes, because I am unusually tall and slim. Then again, I have the smallest most enduring wardrobe.
The few new purchases that we have made were all furniture and we made a point to buy only those pieces that are durable enough to last a life-time (or, in the case of our two small flat-packed IKEA sofas, can easily be reupholstered and used elsewhere), while also being affordable and manufactured and shipped in at least an environmentally-thoughtful if not perfectly sustainable way.
Our philosophy? Jennifer and I have broadened the three R’s: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle; to include: Retrofit (appliances & electronics), Repurpose (finding new uses to extend product life), Reclaim (pillaging old materials that can be used to make something new), Reject (gifts and impulse purchases that are not necessary or are wasteful).
Any thoughts?
