The pagans have reason to celebrate too

The vast majority of Americans celebrate Christmas—90 percent, according to a new Rasmussen Reports poll. Three percent celebrate Hanukkah, according to the same survey, and another 3 percent “have holiday plans that include other religious observances or occasions.” But let us not overlook the festive pagans in our midst. Two percent of the poll’s respondents said they’ll be celebrating the winter solstice. (Irked by over-commercialization of the season, perhaps they urge people to “put the soul back in solstice.”) Two percent may not sound like much, but in a nation of 300 million, it translates into 6 million people. Those of you who’ve always regarded fruitcake as an ungodly concoction will feel vindicated to discover a fruitcake recipe on one of the numerous Web sites that offer guidance on how to celebrate the solstice. For novice pagans who don’t know what sort of gifts to give to fellow solstice celebrants, plenty of Web sites are standing by to provide advice.

—Posted by Mark Dolliver

December 13, 2006 | Permalink