Wesley,

We are celebrating those Zoroastrians Magi who were following a star in the East, never mind the fact that Bethlehem and environs are West of Persia, and brought gifts--this story, as dramatic as it is, never was very clear to me until I found out that, when the religious leader in a society that believes in reincarnation dies, they select some wisemen to go out and find the new reincarnation of their leader--

Zoroastrians believed in the division of the world between gods of light and darkness, who, I think, were Ahura Mazda and Ahriman, and that there was a toatlity that transcended them both--

I mention this because our Christmas tradition, complete with the holiday date, were taken from the Roman cult of Mithras, which was their adaptation of the Zoroastrianism--

The holiday was called "Natalis Invictis Solis"(Birth of the Invincible Sun)--

I mention this all because this holiday seems to bring out both the darkest and the brightist sides of the human experience--I am really overwhelmed by the stories here, both dark and light--

Kat--thanks for the birthday wishes!!