I'm trying to not be cynical about Christmas but am having some difficulty. The mall was overrun, parking lots overfull, and streets were jammed. For what? To buy, buy, buy. I'm sick of people asking me, "Are you ready for Christmas?" What is being ready? Lights, a tree, decorations, shopping. OK, done that. Hurry, hurry, hurry seems to be the general consensus.

Let's slow down and remember Christmas for what it is. It is the day we celebrate the birth of Jesus the Christ. By the way, Jesus' last name was not Christ. Christ is who he became, the messiah, the savior. How we have turned this auspicious day into a whirlwind of useless activity and un-Jesus-like behaviors. Giving of gifts used to mean I freely give this to you as a reminder that God freely gave us his son. Now we stand in lines at midnight to get prized doorbusters as a gift to ourselves. Retailers shudder to say, "Merry Christmas," instead using "Happy Holidays." How ironic, knowing that the word "holiday" came from "holy day." Many of our holidays come from events that were deemed "holy." So to all you Christmas hating atheists out there, Happy Holy Days! Jesus is the reason for the season.

STAN FRONCZAK, Kennewick