Rev dear Rev: What is the Raison d’Etre of Christmas at this time of year?

Even the ever vigilant watchers of international missile launches from Norad at this time of year indulge in some playful past-times and have the course of Santa’s sleigh tracked across the skies in the north as he delivers his presents to the waiting children of the world all around the world, it is a nice computer model. So some pleasant Christmas fun there. The tradition emanates from an eastern saint called Santa Claus. But the people that walked in darkness have seen a great light, and before one can affirm the coming Advent of the light on one’s household Advent calendars, one needs to affirm the darkness that pre-existed that coming of the light of the little Christ-child into the fallen world of the angels and the humans. A shared pot pourri. So Christmas really is the Mass of the Christ-child and kiddies can pour out of their homes on this day after opening their prezzies and watching the Queen’s Speech and thus to go to see the little Christ-child in the manger at the Christmas cribs at most Christian churches, a tradition begun by the great saint of the Foligno hills near Perugia while he was just a young man trying to impress his local steeley eyed and cool and distant bishop. Rich and poor, secular and sanctified, high and low, all and everybody mixes around the poverty and simplicity with the farm animals of the Christmas crib. A nice day on which to celebrate the stealing into the dark world and the dark planet of the light of the Eternal. Nice and nice.