Christmas has been in our eyes and ears and pocket books since the day after Thanksgiving. So I thought to go into the labyrinth of the invention of Christmas and many of its current ramifications in the next few postings. It is a fascinating example of how a story continually told over many years becomes its own evidence. This is Part 1.

We are currently in the Chinese New Year and not all that far from our own. We have finished with the crass commercialism surrounding the celebration of the Christians’ Master and are heading into the other pagan season in honour of the goddess Estara, the goddess of fertility whose ancient pre-Christian symbols are the egg and the hare or rabbit.

In my Christmas series I suggested that you remember that the Pilgrim Fathers whom we are supposed to honor, kept Christmas as a fast day, and no celebrations were allowed. The –ism worshipped today in this country is Commercialism, the God of which is money and its derivative, power.