Carolyn Holm

Dear Mommy,

I love holidays! The decorations, the visitors, the cookies, the cheese and crackers!

Love, Mia

 

Dear Mia,

You’re not supposed to be eating the snacks.

Love, Carolyn

 

Dear Mommy,

I know, but I do anyway. Don’t worry, I don’t eat the chocolate ones. Chocolate is bad for cats.

Love, Mia

 

Dear Mia,

It is. I’m glad you are mindful of that.

Love, Carolyn

 

Dear Mommy,

And I don’t like chocolate anyway.

Love, Mia

 

Dear Mia,

You’ve tried it?!

Love, Carolyn

 

Dear Mommy,

Enough of that. I have a question. Molly says Christmas is a pagan holiday, but on the interwebs it says Christmas is definitely Christian.

Love, Mia

 

Dear Mia,

It depends on your point of view. It’s pretty much a traditional Christian holiday overlaid on an ancient pagan solstice celebration.

Love, Carolyn

 

Dear Mommy,

I don’t think cats are Christian. Are we pagan?

Love, Mia

 

Dear Mia,

Probably.

Love, Carolyn

 

Dear Mommy,

Does that mean we can’t celebrate today?

Love, Mia

 

Dear Mia,

Of course you can! Some of the most beautiful parts of the holiday are pagan. The tree is definitely pagan. And candles and fire are solstice traditions, because the winter solstice is the longest night of the year. That’s a whole lot of darkness in some parts of the world.

Love, Carolyn

 

Dear Mommy,

Are the crackers and cheese pagan?

Love, Mia

 

Dear Mia,

No, they’re the third part of Christmas. Christmas is basically made up of three parts. The Christian part, the Pagan part and then the best part of all, the Merriment part. The Merriment part is open to everyone regardless of religious or philosophical orientation. Or lack of orientation. Basically it’s the partying aspect. People love an excuse to party. So this part is the crackers and cheese. Cookies. Fruitcake. Feasting in general. Cheerful beverages. Santa Claus. Christmas stockings. Candy canes. Presents. All of these are pure Merriment.

Love, Carolyn

 

Dear Mommy,

And gift-wrap?

Love, Mia

 

Dear Mia,

Yes, gift-wrap is definitely in the Merriment category.

Love, Carolyn

 

Dear Mommy,

I love gift-wrap!

Love, Mia

 

Dear Mia,

I know you do. You made a real mess of it when I was trying to wrap presents the other day.

Love, Carolyn

 

Dear Mommy,

Puffin likes gift wrap. He ate some ribbon this morning. And then barfed it up.

Love, Mia

 

Dear Mia,

He did. He is nothing but trouble that way. But we cut everyone some slack this time of year.

Love, Carolyn

 

Dear Mommy,

Is the music the Merriment part?

Love, Mia

 

Dear Mia,

A lot of it is. There are some Christian songs that circulate this time of year. But when you hear Frank Sinatra singing I’ll Be Home for Christmas, or Alvin and the Chipmunks singing Jingle Bells, or Snoop Dog’s Santa Claus Goes Straight to the Ghetto, you know you’re hearing the Merriment part.

Love, Carolyn

 

Dear Mommy,

And all the talk of gifts and donations and sharing. What part is that?

Love, Mia

 

Dear Mia,

Merriment. All Merriment. Every religion lays claim to giving, but it definitely falls into the Merriment category. Giving is completely non-denominational and it just makes people feel good.

Love, Carolyn

 

Dear Mommy,

What’s left for the Christians?

Love, Mia

 

Dear Mia,

If you’re Christian presumably you know what’s yours. If you’re not, who cares.

Love, Carolyn

 

Dear Mommy,

So basically Christians don’t have a monopoly on this holiday.

Love, Mia

 

Dear Mia,

No, not at all. Like any good party it’s disorganized and inclusive.

Love, Carolyn

 

Dear Mommy,

Sounds like something a cat would come up with. Merry Merriment to all!

Love, Mia

 

 

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