To the editor:

Some people, including myself, lament the fact that Christmas seems to have lost its true meaning. Originally, Christmas was instituted to celebrate the birth of Jesus, but today it seems to be more about standing in long lines to buy gifts, Santa Claus, sleigh rides through the snow and roasting chestnuts on an open fire.

But I think I have a solution. Let’s keep the current “Santa Claus, sleigh rides and Jingle Bells” version of Christmas on Dec. 25. But let’s create another day called Jesus’ birthday and celebrate it that day. This way both groups are satisfied – those who want to materialize Christmas can materialize to their heart’s content. And those who want to truly celebrate Christ’s birth date can do it on another day. Maybe we can then rename Christmas as “Gimme Day” for people who want to get their gifts and watch that big jolly man in a red suit squeeze through the chimney while drinking their cider. Works for me!

Tom Mach,

Lawrence