What's Christmas All About, Anyway?

Published: Dec. 18, 2019, 8 p.m.

b'Christmas time can be fun and exciting, chaotic and stressful, sad and depressing, and all on the same day! GamerDude talks about what Christmas was like for him growing up; as a child, the birth of Jesus was one of the focal points of Christmas, but that was always competing with the desire for new toys! He talks about the seemingly never ending battle between the spiritual and the material aspects of the holiday.\\xa0\\xa0\\n\\nGamerDude then dips back into the history of Christmas. He talks about the origins of the holiday, and how some of our traditions today are cobbled together from the midwinter festivals of the "pagans" from the early days of Christianity.\\n\\nHe also talks about the pressures of family, and gift giving, and family politics, and tells the story about subtly calling out his aunt one year, much to the delight of his father.\\n\\nGamerDude then talks about what "the Christmas spirit" is (or at least should be) and how, no matter what your religion or your beliefs, everyone can share in spreading the spirit of Christmas simply by being kind to each other.'