I have been reading down through the thread and appreciate the spirituality that leads us all to celebrate this time of year. But as I read through I had a self realization. I do not celebrate the time of the year, the long ago birth of a child, or anything else. I find that I am celebrating my family and its customs. I am helping to create a sense of family in the children and plant in them the customs that will define the season for them.

As I said above I am undeclared in spiritual matters. Still it is the Christian carols that carry the festive feeling of the season into my heart. I tell my children the myth of the birth in a stable under the shining star because it is a tale of hope.

That is what we all are doig at this time of year. We are supplying our customs, new and old, to the next generation. And through that passing of the torch we are ensuring that our families are remembered fondly by our future generations. We are becoming part of "...we always do it that way..."