12 (or more) Days of Christmas

First, I know, the "12 days of Christmas" are actually the twelve days from Christmas until the beginning of Epiphany (January 6th; the 12 days count from December 25th until January 5th), which is the time the Wise Men or Magi arrived to present gifts to the young Jesus (Matt. 2:1-12).

Having acknowledged that, many people today think the "12 Days" are the last 12 before Christmas. That is fine with me because it is the meaning, not the actual dates, that is important here. And it seems to me that if some people celebrate Christmas for 12 days before and others celebrate it for 12 days after -we get almost a month of the "Peace on Earth, Good Will to Man" spirit. What's wrong with that?

So, if you haven't already, today is a good time to get into the spirit and wish people a Merry Christmas, or Happy Hanukkah, or Happy Holidays or whatever floats your boat.

And remember to give passing strangers a warm and friendly smile. If nothing else, it'll make you feel good (and it drives them crazy wondering what you're up to).

Live Long and Prosper...