Rusty Saber: Christmas always welcome, no matter when it arrives

Joe McAdoo is former chairman of the communication department at Drury University.

Is it my imagination, or did Christmas decorations appear earlier this year? Stores were showing signs of the season even before Halloween. Gaudy orange and black colors blended with Christmas reds and greens more so than in the past. Christmas advertisements also cropped up earlier, or so it seemed.

With all the news stories of terrorism, violence, sniper shootings, gangs, sex crimes, war and war talk, it may be that we were ready to get a jump on talk about peace and goodwill. For whatever reason, it began to look a lot like Christmas before it was supposed to look like Christmas.

On my block, outdoor holiday decorations have traditionally gone up immediately after Thanksgiving. This year, I followed the usual schedule; mine was the last house decorated.

A good feeling comes over me when I see homes decorated for Christmas. Whether the decorations be an array of magnificent lights and elaborate Christmas figures, or just a few colored lights, the homeowner is saying "Merry Christmas!" to passersby. A good feeling, indeed the Christmas spirit, received a premature boost this year with early December snowfall.

Among the reasons my wife and I vacation on Maui, Hawaii, in the winter is the lack of snow there. I can relate to those who become giddy over the beauty of new-fallen snow.

The problem is that it doesn't remain new-fallen for long. The new-fallen image fades with every shovel of snow scooped from the driveway. It doesn't take long before the new-fallen snow is transformed into an ugly, icy mess that, as if by magic, turns cars into sleds. Call me Scrooge, but I'm dreaming of a white-less Christmas.

As a columnist, I have mixed emotions about traffic jams and stores packed with Christmas shoppers. Such scenes test the resolve of the best of us. On one hand, shopping frenzy has little to do with the religious celebration of Christmas by Christians.

But two holidays are being celebrated: Christmas and Xmas. Christmas is about the birth of Christ and the religious significance it holds. Xmas is the secular holiday that all people can observe and enjoy, regardless of religious affiliations or lack of them.

My emotions about shopping are mixed because, as hectic as it may be, it is necessary for the economy. Christmas is the most important time of the year for most retail stores. Poor holiday receipts can harm the merchants, and drive the economy down, which hurts us all. We need lots of shoppers spending lots of money.

Exchanging gifts is at the center of Xmas. It is as much a part of Xmas as Santa Claus, reindeer, snow and sleigh rides; none have anything to do with the miracle birth of a child in ancient Palestine. The beauty of the blended holiday is that Christians and almost everyone else can come together in a spirit of peace and good will. And that, dear readers, makes the frenzy worthwhile.

Think for a moment about the unsung folks who help us have a happy holiday season. The clerks in the stores, on their feet for hours and hours, dealing with harried shoppers; the delivery people who bring the massive number of goods to stores; the workers who put items on the shelves that end up under Christmas trees; mail carriers overloaded with Christmas mail atop regular mail; the bell ringers at Salvation Army kettles, and the multitudes who devote time and money to see that no one goes unnoticed and unfed at Christmas.

Merry Christmas everyone.