Winter Solstice—my final salvo in the war on Christmas

This is the big day! It’s Winter Solstice. Since I’m not a Christian I celebrate the Solstice—the shortest day and longest night of the year. 

And while I’m at it, this is my final salvo in my war on Christmas. But rather than tear down someone else’s beliefs, which is often what some Christian warriors do, I simply celebrate my holiday and enjoy the festivities of the season.

Here is an example of a Christian warrior, Chris Long, president of Ohio Christian Alliance, a so called "educational organization," who believes the atheist in this country are out to destroy religion:

"The war on Christmas is underway once again this year as the American Atheists have launched a multi-city billboard campaign attacking Christmas and religious faith. Atheist legal groups such as the Freedom From Religion Foundation, the ACLU, and People for the American Way believe it is open season to attack public expression of faith with their relentless lawsuits and letter campaigns of intimidation to city officials, school districts and public institutions. Continuing the tradition of their predecessors in earlier decades starting in the '60s, they won't rest until every expression of religious content is wiped from the public square, whether it's a football team that prays before the game, a city council that seeks divine guidance, or a Ten Commandments marker on public property. Even peaceful nativity scenes are targeted. Their motivation? It is not tolerance, but intolerance of those who hold a religious belief that is contrary to their atheist views."

Wow...is this guy ever repressed?! It sounds as if the country is crawling with atheists trying to destroy his faith in God. This guy is clearly at war with non-believers.

"With each case they win, either by capitulation or in the courts, a little bit of the American way of life dies with it. Ronald Reagan stated, "The frustrating thing is that those who are attacking religion claim they are doing it in the name of tolerance...Question: Isn't the real truth that they are intolerant of religion?"

Christianity as he knows it is on the line. And I am the enemy. I'm sure he considers me to be part of the destructive force that is out to do away with Christian celebrations all over this country.

But my plan of action for this year has been simple: celebrate my own holiday in my own way.

The Winters Solstice has been celebrated by Wiccans, Druids, other pagan religions and today some atheists, agnostics and religious like philosophies such as Taoism and Epicureanism celebrate this holiday because it celebrates nature rather than the birth of a divine uberman. I am an Epicurean.

So here is how my holiday went.

I woke up to a cup of my favorite herbal tea. This was the best way to start the day.

Chris Otto, from St. Louis, MO came to town to visit relatives. Otto is a correspondent to this blog. He played a session of flute music at the R Coffee House in Wichita's Riverside Park.

Otto plays a lot of Native American Indian style flutes, with a lot of Native American folk music as well as mainstream style flute music.

The crowd was quite small, but very enthusiastic, with many people asking questions of Otto after his sets.

 His wife, father, three brothers and my wife Cam were in the audience.

Naturally my wife and I have a Solstice tree.

At the end of the day I kicked back with my relatives and drank a Arrogant Bastard Ale.

And no day is complete without another round of Solstice carols.

-សតិវ​អតុ

Happy Winter Solstice!