Greetings from Charlie

I actually got a real live snail-mail Christmas card today. It shows a photograph of a cat sitting under mistletoe looking up at a very big dog towering over it. Said dog has a mighty speculative expression on his mug. The outcome of this juxtaposition is also speculative; going from kissy-snuggly all the way to interspecies violence. Inside it says “Peace on earth and in every heart. Merry Christmas” and is signed by my friend Charlie who lives in Palm Springs, CA.

Scrawled (yes, handwritten) in and around the sentiment* is the following:

Dear John,

Let’s deconstruct “Merry Christmas” to better understand this ubiquitous, blithe mouthing that falls so easily from the tongues of our Xmas brethren, even as the pepper spray lingers over their shopping victims. (“Merry Christmas” is used below only as social camouflage for the pagan themes & Manichean dualities contained in this card = Light & Dark, Good & Evil, Dog & Cat.)

“Christ,” the iconic Man/God, has been marginalized over the years and, in lip service only, is central to the modern Season. This waning is evident when “mas” is appended to His name. “Mas,” means “more” in Spanish, “conspicuous greed” in Latin, and “appalling materialism” in Greek. Hence, our modern Holiday customs have linguistic underpinnings.

As for “Merry,” its meaning is of medieval origin and it can be understood in its straight-forward sense. However, its effect in the social context is urgent & commanding. It leaves no room for alternative moods or feelings, thereby trapping innocents in an emotional strait-jacket of cheer while crushing nuanced & healthy expressions of the soul. It particularly mocks those with Seasonal Affective Disorder.

Such as me.

Peace & Love,

Charlie

[*with permission--please note the acronym for Seasonal Affective Disorder is SAD]