After I got married, during our first Christmas together, I went off on a rant about how much I hated Christmas music that doesn't celebrate Christ... or even mention the holiday. Winter Wonderland especially. Then I started talking about movies. I ripped "The Polar Express" to shreds because it's main theme is about believing, but about believing in the wrong thing. We're propagandizing our children into believing in Santa, which isn't bad, but are we teaching them what the holiday is really about?

After my rant (This was while we were driving in the car) I looked over at my wife, and she was in tears. She absolutely loves Christmas. "The Polar Express" just happens to be her favorite Christmas movie. I thought that of all people she would understand how I felt, but I had just ripped everything she loved. I felt horrible and made a promise to her and to myself that I would attempt to get more into the "Spirit" of Christmas. It's amazing to me how much my attitude has changed over the years.

I absolutely love Christmas now, we start listening to Christmas music after Halloween. Personally, I feel that this helps with our Thanksgiving celebration, rather than taking away from it. Thanksgiving was proclaimed by George Washington as "a National Day of Prayer and Thanksgiving to the Most High God." What better way to thank Him than by remembering His son, and the Atonement? This has really helped my attitude change, and while the commercialization of a sacred circumstance does still make my stomach turn, I've learned that in this case, I can live in the world and not be of the world.

Forgive me for having a difference of opinion with a heated subject, but I love Christmas.