December 1st: The Christmas Season

Well December first. I guess we can talk about Christmas now. I keep saying how time flies as you get older. In just over three weeks Christmas will be over. When we were kids summer seemed to last forever. Two months and it's gone. The seasons just seem to fly by now. As do the years.

I mentioned how the light display at Bear Creek Park after Diwali and before Christmas was kind of strange. It was hard to figure out what the point was as there was nothing there from Diwali or Christmas. At least the Christmas lights at the Bear Creek train are about Christmas. 

Lac Lafarge is nice but again no nativities or anything to do with Christmas. Kind of empty and soulless when you think about it. I really like the German Christmas market in Vancouver and the Shipyard Christmas market beside Lonsdale Quay in North Vancouver. Krampus this year was a blast. I guess that kind of put me in the mood. Some years I just can't wait until it's over. I normally just look forward to the New Year. 

This year I'm kind of savoring the season. I was surprised to hear there are no Christmas lights at the Stanley park train this year and I was like WTF? They're out in Cloverdale this year. Turns out that's because Harry Potter's enchanted forest is in Stanley Park now until the new year. That looks totally cool. My kids grew up reading Harry Potter. Then it was Lord of the Rings. I was impressed to see them excited about reading. 

Grouse mountain has live reindeer and lots of Christmas things going on. Capilano suspension bridge has lots of lights and a boardwalk in the trees. All of these are more practical with a year membership. One time can be pricey. Season's passes are more worth while. The canyon lights are impressive. 

Christmas doesn't have to be about religion but banning religion is a little George Orwell. It creates a knee jerk reaction that can just as easily miss the point. As I've said before, some people scouer the Internet for examples of extremism to justify their own extremism. That's a pretty miserable life. 

There's nothing wrong with good will. There's nothing wrong with Peace on Earth. What Donald Trump is instigating in Venezuela over Christmas is straight up Satanic. 

In the top video it's a Spanish children's Christmas song about the Donkey going to Bethlehem. Latin America hasn't gone secular yet. It's still OK to talk about the Nativity there. In Colombia on December 7th it's called the Day of the little Candles. They line up the streets with candles to light the way for Mary and Joseph. In Colombia January 6th is a day to remember the Three Wise Men and give more gifts.

No to be in your face about it, but all this Nativity hate is somewhat misguided. Muslims believe Jesus was a prophet and think his mother Mary was one of the most important women in scriptures. My Syrian neighbours named one of their children Jesus. So all this Islamophobic hate about Shirian law is toxic. 

There's nothing wrong with celebrating the birth of a child. Any child. If someone wants to celebrate the birth of Buddha or Mohamed, have at it. They both did good things.

Josephus was a Jewish historian who did not believe Jesus was the Messiah but recorded the reality of his existence and his mission. Advent is a chance to remember the prophecies he fulfilled. He was born in Bethlehem of the House of David. He was raised in Nazareth. 

Do you know what the law of the Nazareth is? It's part of the law of Moses. People would dedicate themselves to spiritual things and not use a razor. Just let their hair grow. That's what Sikhs do. When we went for brunch in Abbotsford a few months ago an older Sikh man smiled and bowed as he passed by so we smiled and bowed back. Then I turned to my son and said I think he likes your beard. My son would make a good Sikh. He has very long hair and a very long beard right now. 

Everyone has different Christmas traditions. In Cali, Colombia they dance salsa for three days. When I had a second job on the ski hill I worked with several Australians. I asked one what kind of traditions he has at Christmas back home. He smiled and said oh we have shrimp on the barbie at the beach. 

I paused a little bit confused and tried to visualize it. Then I said, oh yeah, Christmas is in the middle of your summer. That would certainly put a different twist on it. My father used to play 6 white boomers by Rolf Harris. 

So however you celebrate Christmas, if you do, remember the good will and peace on earth part because Donald Trump has clearly lost it. We all need to aspire to something higher. Peace.