It doesn’t seem possible, but another year has nearly passed and it’s Christmas time once again. Perhaps time seems to fly by because as early as October Christmas merchandise hits the retail shelves.

Those of us who celebrate this wonderful day enjoy the traditions that have been carried on by our families. Hopefully those and new traditions will be continued by our children and grandchildren. I remember how our family used to attend church services on Christmas Eve. We always sang “Once in Royal David’s City,” whose words remind us of the birth of Jesus being born into a poor family. Other songs such as “Silent Night,” “O Come All Ye Faithful” and “It Came Upon A Midnight Clear” were once traditional Christmas songs. But with the new contemporary church services, some of the old favorites are no longer being sung.

Remember how Christmas trees were once decorated with the red and green paper chains made by school children and brought home? And those once popular bubble lights which were a favorite of mine. We have gone from real pine trees to artificial ones that you can simply fold up and store in a plastic bag from one year to the next. Some even come with miniature lights already hung on them. Before they existed, I remember the all aluminum trees that revolved on an electric base. With it came a spot light that shone on the tree and in front of that light was a spinning wheel with colored cellophane which illuminated the tree to different colors.

My mother used to make decorations out of tops of tin cans and pipe cleaners. She also used milk weed pods with decorations placed inside. And she made the Three Wise Men from Styrofoam, covering them with clothing made of felt.

We in America are very blessed that we have freedom of religion. It is unfortunate that a few non-believers in Christmas seem to want to make it difficult for those of us who do enjoy this wonderful season. Those few have caused the Nativity Scene to be removed from public places. They have stopped the singing of Christmas carols in our public schools and have even caused the disappearance of brightly decorated Christmas trees in school classrooms. And of course there is that politically correct phrase of Winter Break instead of what it really is: Christmas Vacation.

Recently, a few people, who are in the minority, have complained so much about celebrating Christmas that what they are really doing is putting Christmas into the same category with New Year’s Day which to them means nothing more that another day off work with pay. Their complaints have had so much influence on retailers that in many stores the clerks no longer wish customers a Merry Christmas but rather tell us Happy Holidays. How much better it sounded when they said Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. In order not to offend those few, even radio and television commercials say Happy Holidays while asking us who do celebrate Christmas to purchase their products.

To the majority of us, Christmas is a time to celebrate the birth of Jesus, to be with family and friends, attend church services and enjoy office parties. As in past years, I hope for Peace on Earth, Good Will Toward Men. It is truly the happiest, most wonderful time of the year. A time when I have the pleasure to wish all of you who are reading this a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

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Robert Snell is a retired Ottumwa educator.