Shiney Christmas Castle at Disneyland.

[Cadaverous Pallor]

Love you guys, understand the whole connotations of Xmas thing, as well as pagan rites....but for a Jew with not only roots in the shtetls of Eastern Europe but the deserts of Israel, where I was born, I've always felt more of a pull towards desert climate seasonal celebrations. There's no snow in Hanukkah, and I'm glad I live here, where the location reflects the roots.

Sukkot is an even better example, a harvest holiday happening next week, involving building huts out of palm branches and eating outside. In some very Jewish places such as NY and Chicago, never mind the shtetl, actually celebrating Sukkot in its full form runs from very trying to absolutely impossible. Out here, it's the most natural thing on earth.

Yeah, I have an odd perspective on this stuff.