it's the most wonderful time of the year

I was going to make an eloquent but probably verbose rant about the Christmas season, but then I got lazy and decided instead to summarize my key points in this less eloquent but still verbose list:

• It's December
• Tinsel and trees and fake snow and pictures of Santa Claus are everywhere
• A lot of stores and other establishments play Christmas music
• Some people wish others "Merry Christmas"
• Many non-Christian people complain bitterly about this

• During the winter, it gets dark and cold, and people get lonely
• I believe that a major reason for the celebration of winter holidays is to gather together, connect with other people, and stem the loneliness and coldness and darkness with light and food and music and togetherness
• Most Americans do this with Christmas
• Some Americans have never heard of your particular winter holiday, or it may not occur to them that you might celebrate that holiday
• Therefore, they may say "Merry Christmas" to you

• This is most likely not an attempt to convert you or bash your religion, and it won't do you much good to assume that it is
• It is probably an attempt to connect with you and be friendly, unless the person is a cashier whose manager is making them say it
• Sometimes, it may be necessary to re-word the greeting in your head so that you are hearing the message that the person meant to convey ("I hope you are warm and happy and have people to connect with during this cold and dark winter")
• [insert cheesy story about bus driver giving me an all-day pass (because I had made a mistake and thought they still gave transfers and had no more change with me) and saying "Merry Christmas, this is your lucky day" here.]

• Many Christmas songs were written by Jewish people, and those songs certainly aren't an attempt to convert you or bash your religion
• Personally, I enjoy Christmas music, though of course you're free to dislike it
• The character of Santa Claus is based on various nice/good/generous guys
• Materialism and commercialism, annoying as they can be sometimes, are not religion

• Quit whining
• If you want to be upset about someone trying to push religion on people inappropriately, go beat up on George Bush or Fred Phelps

• Santa hats have slowly invaded livejournal
• Modding icons to add something out of place is fun
• Modding an icon and getting to make a rant about it is even more fun
• For these reasons and also in recognition of my personal attitude (which seems to differ from most Jews' attitude) toward the winter holiday season, I hereby adopt this new icon
• 
  

(at the time of writing, my default icon was this)