Happy Merry.

It seems to be getting harder to give … greetings at this time of the year. There’s a bit of risk involved. Lots of people think we are exclusive to be simply wishing everyone to enjoy our holiday. (Of course, if you think that, you have no right to use the word “holiday,” now, do you? :-)

I had thought I’d made a decent attempt with “Merry Mid-Winter Party Period.” Until some in the southern hemisphere took exception to the seasonal-centredness of that phrase.

Recently one of our local columnists came up with “non-denominational-culturally-palatable-holiday-seasonal-politically-correct-racially-inoffensive-ritual-drained-of-all-religious-meaning-so-as-to-be-acceptable-to-every-creed-festival.”

So, never mind. Merry Christmas. Whether you like it or not. (If not, you can have a Happy New Year anyway :-)

In keeping with Christmas itself, I wanted to give you a Christmas present. Maybe before some of you disappear into family time and last minute tasks for the Exmas Rush. You don’t have to wait until December 25th if you don’t want to.

Very cute, but possibly not completely original. A great many people have apparently done a “Silent Monks” version. Still, this seems the most involved and active. The earliest versions I could find were from 2008. Slight variation.

Slightly more seriously. And, in response to the commercialization of it all.

For those who want lighter fare. Or, slightly geekier. Or, for those trying to keep warm. Or, for those deeply into their devices.