I love this time of year…the snow…the decorations.. the excitement in the air….goodwill towards your neighbors and fellow citizens…oh, and don’t forget the gifts. Who doesn’t like the gifts? I love the gifts, both the giving and the receiving.

But recently, I’ve started to wonder exactly why it is I celebrate Christmas. Am I religious? Hardly. Am I celebrating the birth of Jesus H. Christ? Nope. Am I even a Solstice guy? Maybe, but I don’t feel any certain connection to it. So then why do I actually celebrate Christmas?

Reason #1 is that it’s what I’m accustomed to. As a kid, if you celebrate Christmas, it’s the greatest time of the year, next to your birthday (and, well, anytime any of your siblings gets a smack on the ass).

Reason #2? Don’t have one. But Christmas is still a favorite time of year, just without the religious attachments. I think now it’s just a celebration of the season, showing how I appreciate everyone around me. Am I thinking too much about it? Maybe. But if we don’t think about our actions and our habits, how will we ever understand them?

Not that I’ll ever out-think my way out of Christmas, that’s not going to happen. I love it too much, everything about it. You can feel the love and goosebumps all around you. Getting together with my family on Christmas Eve will always be tops. And seeing my wife open her gifts on the 25th is downright awesome. My reasons for taking part might have changed, but not my participation.

Image found on clipart.com while searching for “christmas”. I have no idea.