I noticed in the paper the other day that the Glen Rose Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring a christian, religious parade for Christmas, with the theme "Jesus is the Reason for the Season".  I think it's a shame that Glen Rose is not having an inclusive holiday parade for all. I've been to plenty of holiday parades that included religious floats or entries, but were part of the overall holiday parade that appealed to citizens, regardless of whether they were celebrating the holiday from a secular, Santa perspective and an occasion to meet with family, were, say, Jewish and celebrating the holiday season but not necessarily Christmas, or were religiously oriented. Seems like it would have been better for a group of churches to sponsor a religous holiday parade ratther than the Chamber.

When I realized as an adult, and really thought about it, that Santa had nothing to do with Jesus, that Jesus wasn't born on December 25, considered what in the world a pine tree might have to do with Jesus, I did some looking up about the origins of Christmas.

• Jesus didn't say anything in the Bible about commemorating his birth but instead his death. Origen said that it was only sinners who made great rejoicings over the day they were brought into the world. Even if you want to commemorate his birth, he wasn't born on December 25. Instead, that's a pagan date that corresponds to the winter solstice, Saturnalia, (Note that the persian god Mithras had his birthday as December 25.)