My wife and I were speculating on the Christmas tree and thinking it emerged in some form before
it was associated with Christmas, possibly in the areas now known as Germany, when religions
were nature centered, in the days of the Huns and other tribes. In China it is customary to bang kitchen
pans this time of year to wake up the sun, which has gotten sleepy and only shines a short time during the
day. Christmas borrowed a lot of its traditions from Roman Saturnalia observances which were likewise
based on the darkest time of the year. None of this diminishes devote observances at all, and to my mind
only deepens them. So happy holidays and increasing enlightenment to all. I think daylight became a little
longer Monday, by a minute or two.
