Christmas Lights are Fantastic

I absolutely love Christmas Lights.  They make me smile and feel warm inside.  Cheesy, I know, but I cannot help it.  Is it the tradition?  The beautiful glow?  Who knows?  All I know is I love them.

As I sit in my living room enjoying my tree and the lights outside I shake my head and think of an article I recently read.  It's about an anonymous neighbor in some other state who has been leaving messages in the mailboxes of his neighbors who have hung Christmas lights.  Apparently the note starts out benign, complementing the lights.  Then it proceeds to tell them how, because they put up the lights, they themselves are not Christians but pagans as the custom was originally a pagan ritual. 

And while his claims bare truth, that the lights originated with the pagans, I take issue with him deducing and telling others they therefore are not Christians.  Who made it that person's job to rain on other peoples' parade (or lights)?  And while in their twisted mind they may feel they are "teaching" their neighbors, these neighbors are not hurting anyone and did not ask for the "lesson."  And this person is forgetting half of the story. 

What this person fails to acknowledge is that the Church aligned holidays with pagan customs in order to convert pagans to Christianity, adopting some practices for familiarity and easy integration.  So is it John Q. Public's fault that what he follows as his Christian traditions happen to be in line with pagan practices?  Maybe Mr. Nasty Note should take it up with the men hundreds of years ago who set these principles in motion and not admonish his neighbor.

These pagan traditions have been given meaning in the Christian faith. For example, in this, literally darkest time of the year, I love the lights because I find it depressing that it is pitch black outside at 5 pm.  What I have always been taught is that Christ is the Light of the World and hanging Christmas lights reminds us of this and His love.  But because this now Christian tradition began under another belief that does not negate the meaning which has been adopted. 

And will Sir Gloom Giver be making the rounds on St. Patrick's Day?  Informing all of his neighbors that if they are not of Irish descent they may not partake in the celebrations?  Or that they cannot eat corned beef and cabbage as this is not an Irish tradition at all but an Irish-American tradition?  And what about Easter?  Another holiday with pagan connections.  Should people be prepared for another unsolicited sermon about eggs and bunnies?

I wish I knew where this mailbox meanie lived.  But instead of giving him a dose of his own medicine I would just asking him to spread joy not judgement.  Because at the end of the day we are all neighbors who are trying our best.  I for one encourage the lights and will enjoy all of them hung with care this holiday season no matter who strung them, Christian, pagan or otherwise!