Merry Christmas Eve (again!)

Tomorrow is Christmas! At least, it is to those who measure such things by the old Julian Calendar - primarily the Greek Orthodox and Russian Orthodox and Armenian churches.

By tradition, we leave our Christmas decorations up until "Russian Christmas" has come and gone, and we always light everything up fully for the day itself. Though I'm not sure what I mean by "we" these days. I just drove across Nanticoke and noticed that very few houses actually have decorations up or lights lit. My next door neighbors, who light their house up "like a whorehouse" (to use a Norwegian friend's phrase) every year, also tear down their decorations before New Year's Day.

Some days I feel like I may be the last traditionalist left who isn't over 70. This year my church eliminated almost all of the old Polish Christmas Carols in its Midnight Mass - in a parish where there are still many old Polish speakers left. The changes in the music - the current parish organist doesn't even know the old Polish songs that were weekly standards just a few years ago - aren't the only modernizations I've seen that feel like an effort to shunt the elderly off to a side room where they can sit quietly and wait to die. Last year at Easter at the end the sunrise Mass of Resurrection - arguably the holiest day in the entire Cristian calendar - the priest had the Easter Bunny pop out of the Sacristy and walk out past the altar and down the center aisle as the organist played "Here Comes Peter Cottontail."

I watch society spiral off, more concerned about widescreen TVs and having the latest video game systems than about the things that matter. And sometimes I wonder if anyone really knows what things matter. Do I? It seems doubtful. The evidence so far indicates "no".

But tomorrow, according to an ancient calendar no longer in use in most of the world, is Christmas. And tonight, our lights are on.

Merry Christmas Eve, to those who observe it!