I was thinking about Christmas this morning in the winter darkness and I just can’t help but think what a good idea it is to have a party on the shortest day of the year. (For all you winter solstice sticklers, the date this year was the 21st. The 25th is just so much easier to remember...)Long before Christians usurped the holiday with their holy birthday, some pagan was sitting around in the middle of winter, all bummed out that it was cold and dark and he came up with the idea to just have a party. Get everyone around the only thing that is alive —evergreens – and celebrate life.

I really like the idea of having the happiest holiday of the year on the actual darkest day of the year. What brilliant irony.