The reason for my season is basic astronomy, although your reason may be equally valid and special, who am I to say?
It’s Yule now. Have a blessed one. Light your candles and burn your wood and fire up your stove for somethin yummy. Love and light, love and light, love and light…
It’s not reactionary or revolutionary, it’s just a good day to honor light and warmth because it’s the shortest day of the year.
It’s also the time of year when people like to search their hearts and share their religious fervor by blasting everyone with “Jesus is the Reason for the Season!” which is exactly the sorta thing that sends me into red flag mode, but I’m not at war with Christmas so I don’t summon Odin to horse-trample those people, I simply nod and smile, because that’s the safe thing to do when you’re dealing with people who send you into red flag mode.
Jesus is the reason for many a people’s season. Groovy.
I’ll have you know that I am friends with plenty of Christians. Why, some of my best friends are Christians *she writes cheekily* and we’re friends because we’re the sort of people who possess the depth required to look at one another lovingly while thinking, “That stuff you believe is so incredibly ridiculous.”
Believing in stuff you can’t prove is ridiculous.
I too believe in ridiculous stuff.
We all believe in ridiculous stuff.
Except atheists. They’re all, “Everyone is so ridiculous.”
I do not care what you believe or worship or how you celebrate, I only care if you need me to follow the rules of your particular deity, which is why other religions are less worrisome for me than Christianity, because too many Christians like to legislate their beliefs and they all the time be like, “We shall be disciples of Christ and bring more people into the faith,” and I’m like, “Everyone in America has heard of Jesus” and I give them money for mission trips so they can travel to a foreign land and give my ticket to their heaven to someone else (while also providing clean water.)
It’s hard to love people who tell ya you’re gonna burn in Hell for eternity, okay? I do it anyway, because I’m such a loving person, but it’s not easy. Especially at Christmastime. I’m a big fan of Christmas hymns. I know all the words and when I sing them there isn’t anything about being hateful, intolerant, or self-righteous.
At most, the religious outrage of my Jewish friends has been, “Barbecue pork on challah!?”
For I am the kind of person who on Christmas Day will eat barbecue pork on challah while sitting next to my Buddhas under my hamsa while O Holy Night plays. I’m certain that’s good chi, right there.
Nonsense is part of who I am. I realize my nonsense may offend some people, and I’m okay with that, too. It’s not a matter of try to or try not to offend — these things don’t matter to me. What does matter is that the readers of this blog are my kind of people.
My kinda people understand that this is not, and will never be Nice Lady Blog.
My kinda people are those who can read this post and understand it is not an attack on all beliefs outside my own. (That’s prolly everyone.)
My kinda people enjoy self-expression and consumption of personal truth. My kinda people enjoy agreeing, especially commiserating, but they also enjoy exploring differences in perspective.
Par Example:
I like winter, you like summer.
I like old things, you like new things.
I like twinkly lights, you like … you don’t like twinkly lights? OH MY STARS HOW CAN YOU NOT LIKE TWINKLY LIGHTS?! WHAT KINDA FREAK ARE YOU?!? I CANNOT BELIEVE I HAVE BEEN READING YOU ALL THIS TIME! DON’T YOU KNOW TWINKLY LIGHTS ARE EVERYTHING?
Yes, it has been brought to my knowledge that for thousands of years people have celebrated light differently this time of year and I have always pretended to be tolerant of their religion and culture BUT I CARE ABOUT YOU AND YOU’RE ONLY FOOLING YOURSELF BECAUSE I KNOW YOU’RE GOING TO BE FRIED UP LIKE A SAVORY LATKE IF YOU DON’T LIKE TWINKLY LIGHTS!
See? Totally ridiculous.
*My apologies if any of you are believers of twinkly lights as gods. I’m sure not all of you are like that.
What’s the reason for your season, y’all? You like twinkly lights, right?
joeyfullystated 
I like twinkly lights. I like winter. I like the feeling of balance and quiet that nature shows us this time of year, when we’re not obsessing over twinkly lights, of course. Have a Happy Holiday, joey. May your chi be re-charged in whatever way makes sense to you!
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Me too! Me too! Me too! Of course! Thank you, Ally Bean, you too! ❤
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Oh well, I’m not a fan of twinkly lights, but that’s an adopted not-fandom. Twinkly lights kinda make my wife sick to her stomach. It’s a vision-problem thing, so I dutifully replace the blinking bulb with the non-blinking bulb in every strand of lights I ever use. I’m OK with that, made my peace with it. I try to keep the reason in the season, but I don’t blow about it from the top of My Crumpet. To each his own. We play the music, I sing the hymns and we enjoy the day. I hope you do too.
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Mmm, I don’t like the blinky ones either. Blinky lights are a migraine trigger. I enjoy you enjoying your reason to your season and me too, thanks! 🙂
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Blessed Yule!
I am also on the Season train. Believing in the divinity of nature and understanding the ridiculousness of it all. I love that people don’t see everything my way. I don’t want them to. My way is mine. But I don’t try to legislate my beliefs.
Although maybe, if I were in charge, I would pass a twinkly light law. Maybe not a requirement, but possible tax write-offs for twinkly lights and credits to offset the increased electricity bills.
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Love twinkly lights and the description of what you’re going to do Christmas day!
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Hah! I totally want twinkly light tax credits! Ooh, or solar twinkly lights! Josh, my house, my trees — they’d twinkle all year round! lol I’d sing little songs about it, “Tiny Fairy Lights” to the tune of O Holy Night!
Wishing you all the best the light can bring 🙂
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And to you as well. Blessed Yule, my friend.
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I was 13 when the Bubbling Christmas lights became available in my little town. I had a job washing the windows of a jewelry store downtown, for $2 a week. I saved enough that year to buy presents for everyone AND was able to buy one (1) Bubbling light… screw twinkling, I’ll take bubbling ANY day!!! 😀
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YES! Gah! I looooove the bubble lights! I’d love to have bubble lights, but they are so costly! I’d have to spend $300 on lights! Rumor is the new version doesn’t last too long, either. I just admire them when I see them. I get a lil mesmerized! 🙂
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Tis the season to consider & reflect, or reflect & consider as your case may be. Live, lived & learn. Tis also the season for meats & cheeses & firelight, & snuggling to bad low budget movies, like A Boy & His Dog or somesuch. You know, the classics.
No twinkling for me though. Gives me migraines.
Happy Holidays Joey. 🙂
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Funny, only the blinky ones give me migraines
Sorry.
I don’t think I’ll be doing any of the things you will, except maybe cheese. We’ll always have cheese 🙂
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The tilt of the Earth on its axis is the reason for the season. Another reason I kinda sorta don’t wanna go to our church’s Solstice service, ’cause our sign claims Jesus is the reason for the season, and he just isn’t. We Christians just glommed onto all the parties that have been going on at the turning of the year and pasted Jesus all over them instead of growing a pair and giving Him His own party. So come join me in hell. We’ll make s’mores.
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Marian, the more I read you, the more I like you. It’s strange, because some Christians will say that the glomming on does nothing to detract from the spirit of the season or the joy of their savior’s birth — it’s all magical and beautiful and they enjoy the melding. (My people) But then there are a number of people who if you tell them these things are older than Christ, they become hateful and accuse devil worship and lies, all lies! (Not my people)
So many holidays are like this, I don’t know what the upset is all about. “Put a lil love in your heart” eh?
I will enjoy making s’mores with you round the hellfire, thank you 🙂
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Reblogged this on Anything is Possible! and commented:
I love twinkly lights and everything about Christmas except the over-commercialization that makes people spend more money than they can afford. That’s ridiculous! I love the yuley pictures and the humor and the love of Joey’s post. As a Christian, I, too find it “hard to love people who tell ya (or anyone) you’re gonna burn in Hell for eternity…” And I’ll keep on loving them because its the right thing go do. But I might have to love some of them from a distance.
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Thanks again 🙂
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My pleasure!
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I’m a fan of twinkly lights! And of all the rest that goes along with this time of year. 🎄☃❄🎅🕯🎁
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The emojis say it all! ❤
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If I didn’t love you before, I sure do now after reading this.
“I am the kind of person who on Christmas Day will eat barbecue pork on challah while sitting next to my Buddhas under my hamsa while O Holy Night plays. I’m certain that’s good chi, right there”. Yes! This pretty well says it all … although the Pagan Me would likely want to toss in a naked dance on the Solstice 🙂
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I’m just not into the whole naked thing. I always feel naked when I’m naked. I can sleep naked, but even when I’m up in the night to my own bathroom, I feel so naked! LOL I’m not modest, I swear.
And thank you 🙂
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LOL!! Let’s make it ‘clothing optional’ 😉
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For me, those always meant those gauzy sketti strap dresses. No unders, and definitely no shoes! 🙂
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Being fit is what makes the world go around, unless if you don’t appreciate twinkly lights. 😉
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Okay. I hate auto-correct/ spellcheck. I meant to type: Being different is what makes the world go around–unless, you don’t appreciate twinkly lights. 😉
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Haha! Yeah, well I’m glad you fixed it, cause I just ate at Cracker Barrel and I feel even less fit than I did hours ago, LOL!
Twinkly light lovers unite! But we can turn them off if they bother other people, because nice. 😉
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When I realized my word had been changed to fit, I thought, good grief! 🙂 I love Cracker Barrel, too–yummy! Christmas lights are lovely either way. 😊
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I believe in the power of the twinkle.
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I may need to get on my phone to give you some stars. BRB.
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⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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No, no, no on the twinkly lights. My ex use to call them nervous lights, which I think is fitting. As for me, I practice Buddhism (not necessarily Buddhist though.) I’m an atheist, but I love Christmas and everything that goes with it. Love is my reason for the season.
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Mmm, the blinky ones, or the non-blinky ones, too? Nervous lights. Heh, the blinky ones do my head in.
Love is the best reason for any season, Bradley ❤
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Not fast twinkling lights…..just kinda twinkly. But they must be white. No likey colored lights. No.
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Yeah, not the blinky ones. Seems a lot of us don’t like the blinky ones. I like the colored lights fine, but I, too, am a white light person. It’s a preference for me for sure. 🙂
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Gots da smile on meh face. Tips meh cap n tosses a log on the fire.
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I can picture you 🙂 Thanks!
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You say potato (long a) and I say potato (ah sound), you say tomato and I say tomato. Let’s call the whole thing off! I love twinkly lights, snow, decorating the house, winter, presents, love, Christmas cookies/candy/food and I love those top two pictures. Heck, I believe Jesus is the Reason for every season. 🙂 May you have the most blessed, happy, and nonsensical Christmas ever, Joey!
janet
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Ah, yes, I do say potato with the long a! I love all the things on your list, too. Perhaps twinkly lights and cookies most. All the best Christians keep Jesus as a reason for every season, because lives in the heart with love not in the lungs for shouting! LOL You shouldn’t see people shouting about the Holly King and the Ivy Queen, either. If you do, let me know, and I will send out the twinkly light police 😉
I’m gonna have a fantastic weekend, janet, thank you 🙂
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Mary and I celebrate the Feast of the Nativity (the official name of Christmas), but as far as being Christmas folks, we ain’t, not really. We don’t decorate because our
little bladders with furcats would see a Christmas tree and think it was all toys for them, and they’d eat the tinsel and get sick, and break the ornaments, and probably chew through the cords on the lights. I’m crippled, so there’s no climbing on ladders to hang lights on the house, and Mary sure as hell ain’t getting on a ladder. Mary and I buy gifts for ourselves and thank each other for them, and it never involves going to the mall or Walmart (I can’t remember the last time I was in either). Our favorite week of the year is the week between Christmas and New Year’s, when the Christmas hoopla is over and the year is drawing to a close.Understand, there are some people in the neighborhood that decorate their houses, and we like seeing them (although the house across the street with all the inflatables and enough lights for an airport is a little much), and we exchange small gifts with the people we sit with at church (Mary makes knitted items, but nothing that takes more than an hour to do or more than a half-skein of yarn), but that’s about the extent of it. But we don’t go to a lot of trouble. And, hey, if a big celebration is what you’re all about, have at it, whether it’s Christmas, Hanukkah, Yule, Kwanzaa, or just December 25.
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Nice! Sounds peaceful 🙂 (Apart from the bright house….) I like that week in between, too, John. Thanks for sharing your season 🙂
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The house across the street is festive, if a bit garish, and usually the decorations are packed up by New Year’s. It’s actually part of our Christmas tradition.
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Sorry I misunderstood. You’d said the house across the street is a little much, and I took it to mean you didn’t care for it. I’m glad you enjoy it 🙂
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The father and son work on it together. Maybe that’s why I appreciate it so much.
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I love twinkly lights, and hearing small children sing Christmas carols, brings a tear to my eye!! I am not particularly religious, though. I prefer to think I am more of a spiritual person. I hope you enjoy your celebrations and your twinkly lights Joey 💖💖💖
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Thank you, Judy! I totally cry at small children singing too! ❤
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We are a couple of softies! 🙂
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I have twinkly lights all year around! In my room and around my window 🙂 They really do feel like my own set of stars… Holiday is just yet another reason.
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I really would love to deck my trees in twinkly lights all year 🙂
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Pingback: Atheist Perspective on Christmas – Our Rainy Journey
Welllll…Jesus is supposed to be central to my Christmas, but everything else seems to get in the way…shopping, wrapping, cookie baking, cleaning, running here and there…one of these years I’m going to take a trip to a snowy lodge in Colorado, where they have lights (but not twinkly ones) and I can see stars at night and enjoy hot beverages, Christmas music and the peace.
I hope you have an awesome holiday, Joey, filled with everything you love, and with your lovely family.
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COOKIES! MMM! 😛
I bout cried tonight because they were out of my anise extract at the store. The Mister’s gonna check another one tomorrow.
I think a snowy place of peace would be a great kind of holiday. Maybe one year… I hope you have a very merry Christmas 🙂
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I saw anise cookies at the Wal-Mart bakery today. Almost bought them for mom! 😊
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🙂
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I agree about the inflatables. One family indulges, one for Halloween, one for Thanksgiving, one for Xmas…it makes me want to take a bb gun to them but I know how expensive they are…
I love the little lights (no blink, just twink), so much so that on the last tree I decorated I went out and bought enough. If there is such a thing. It was blinding, it was glorious, the cats screamed and left the room, and it’s one of those ‘final moment’ memories that I treasure.
It was the last tree because we then acquired a new piece of furniture (of the ‘oh, isnt that WONDERFUL thank so much” category) from a family member, and it is too big to hide in a closet and too heavy to move there anyway to make room for the tree.
But yes on the lights. When I was a kid we used to drive around town and ooh and aah over outside displays, and at the age of ten my favorite colored lights were blue and purple. I’ve never admitted it, but they still are. With a bit of green for contrast.
Merry Christmas, Joey.
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Oh my goodness, I am just now seeing this! Thank you for coming over and reading! 🙂 I appreciate your comment!
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I like twinkling lights, prefer summer over winter every day of the week, definitely like old things more than new things, and I have to put a nativity set up every year or it isn’t Christmas. 🙂 Tolerance for other beliefs is a good thing, but coming off the contentious political season we all just survived seems to have left lots of folks at a different spot this year. Whatever your choices for the season are, Joey, I hope you have a good one with all your special folks gathered around to enjoy it with you. 🙂
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Thanks so much, Judy 🙂 You too. Have a Merry Christmas 🙂
Bout halfway to summer now, right?
Maybe it IS the politics that have people shouting and snapping about religion, I honestly hadn’t thought of that, but it’s been a weird, somewhat scary holiday season round these parts!
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While I had heard of most of the Roman and Greek gods, I admit that I hadn’t heard of Odin until stumbling across the show Vikings (which I just finished binge watching 3 seasons of!).
I don’t believe in pressing my beliefs on someone because I see religion as extremely personal and most of what I believe to be true doesn’t fit into a categorical box.
I love twinkly lights and the kindness that most people try to extend a little more of at this time of the year.
I am also looking forward to slightly later sunsets! I hope your season is wonderfully joyous! 🙂
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I really do enjoy the later sunsets 🙂
I’m glad your demonstrations of faith don’t come with ultimatums and shouting, but then, those things aren’t really like you at all. Stuff like that would not fit into your blog posts. If you wrote stuff like that, I would literally worry and pray for you, because I’d wonder what happened!
I think this weekend WILL be wonderfully joyous for us, and I hope it’s the same for y’all. 🙂
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I love the colored twinkle lights. Not “cult love” them, but I do love them. And that’s why there’s a war at my house, since my tree has colored twinkle lights AND plain that you can choose from. Naturally Sam has no taste and wants the plain ones.
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Happy Christmas! Just want to say a big thanks for all your great posts during the past year . Am a bit of twinkly light person- we need it here in gloomy windswept Ireland. xxx
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Yay, another twinkly light fan! Thanks and you too! xx
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I love this passage: “For I am the kind of person who on Christmas Day will eat barbecue pork on challah while sitting next to my Buddhas under my hamsa while O Holy Night plays. I’m certain that’s good chi, right there.”
*gently shoves Flying Spaghetti Monster closer*
And of everything I find it most sensible that one celebrates the fact that from now on it will only get longer. The day!
I love to be your blog reader. Cin cin!
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Ah, thank you, so kind. ❤ It's mutual.
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