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Mountain View News Saturday, December 21, 2024


NOAH FOR CHRISTMAS?

Are you hoping 
Santa will 
bring you the 
sweetest, cuddliest 
boy 
ever? 

Meet Noah! 
This spunky little guy is full of life, always 
ready to play with his fellow kitty 
friends and his favorite humans. When 
he's not busy having fun, he will follow 
you around and loves nothing more than 
to curl up for cuddles. 

He's all soft black with one adorable white whisker! Santa’s looking for a forever home 
where Noah can shower his new mom or dad with LOVE. Could that be you? Come meet 
Noah and let him charm his way into your heart! He’s 7 mos. old, fully vetted and healthy. 

Please fill out the application at https://www.lifelineforpets.org/noah.html.

CHRISTOPHER Nyerges 

[Nyerges is the author of several books including “Self-Sufficient Home” 
and “How to Survive Anywhere.” He also leads wilderness classes every 
weekend. He can be reached at School of Self-Reliance, Box 41834, Eagle 
Rock, CA 90041, or www.SchoolofSelf-Reliance.com]


IN SEARCH OF THE MEANING OF CHRISTMAS

 

Christmas was always a special time growing up. And I always felt the desire 
to really get to know its special meaning. So when I was in my early teens, 
I became aware of a fact that I was not taught in Catholic school: Jesus – in 
whose honor this holiday re-volves – was a Jewish rabbi who lectured in the 
Synagogue and kept the traditional Jewish Holy Days of his time. We know 
the date of Jesus’ birthday is not known to his-torians, and was certainly not December 25. 
OK,so that opened a can of worms….

 

Using ordinary encyclopedias and the library, I began to uncover a side of Christmas that I 
never knew existed. First, I was a bit surprised to find that many people suggest-ed that Jesus 
never existed at all, but they were searching for “Jesus Christ,” which is a combination of his 
Latinized name and a title. Rarely do these “researchers” grasp that in his time, his name 
would be rendered as Iesu, or Jeshua, or Yeshua. His first name is rendered as Isa in the Koran. 
His full family name would likely have been Yeshua ben Josephus, or Jeshua ben Pandira, 
depending on which scholars you accept. 

 

I learned that while Jesus was observing the Jewish Holy Days, the known world at that time 
was commemorating nearly every Holy Day that Christianity celebrates today, but under a 
different name. Holy Days of Christmas, Easter, Halloween, Saint Valen-tine’s Day, Candlemas, 
and more, were all being commemorated during the Roman empire. Though they were 
commemorated under different names, the customs associ-ated with each are still with us.

 

By the Third Century as Christianity was becoming a religious and political force, Con-stantine 
made a political choice to cement his Christian empire. Since there was re-sistance to 
dropping the old so-called pagan customs, Constantine “Christianized” the entire gamut of 
pre-Christian Holy Days and changed their names. (This is, obviously, the very short 25-cent 
version – you can read the long version in any encyclope-dia.) The feast of Saturnalia was 
changed to the Mass of Christ, or Christmas.

 

By the way, the word “pagan” in its origin had no religious overtones. It merely meant a 
country-dweller, from the Latin “pagus.” The complaint that the pagans in their obser-vation 
of their Holy Days were riotous and drunken was only partly right. History clear-ly demonstrates 
that among the “pagani” there was no more or less drunken revelry than there was 
among those now calling themselves Christians.

 

Though December 25 is not the winter solstice, it is the day when someone observing the sunrises 
notes that the sun begins again its northern ascent back from that south-ernmost point 
of the horizon that it reached on the winter solstice. It is the birth of the sun that that pagans 
celebrated, which Constantine made the birth of the Son. It is thus the day that modern Christians 
use to commemorate the birth of the One they re-fer to as the Son of God.

 

My first childhood reaction to learning of this “pagan history” of Christmas led to my disenchantment 
and depression. A few years later when I became a Buddhist, I was surprised 
to learn that my Buddhist friends celebrated Christmas. “It’s a social and secular holiday 
too,” they told me. “It’s part of the popular culture,” as they all had their warm parties and 
exchanged gifts in their eagerness to be a part of American culture. That opened my eyes to 
yet another side of this.

.

This season and its myriad symbols are ancient, yet it is still up to each of us to use these symbols, 
and this time, for a spiritual leap-forward, and not as an excuse to grov-el in materialism. 
This year we have a great opportunity for going inward, and seeking the real meaning of 
Christmas.

 

Gifting, for example, can be a mindless act, or it can be a true communion between two beings. 
And gifting doesn’t have to be a physical object. It can be a service, some act of love, or 
even walking someone’s dog, or cooking a meal when they have the need. That’s the sort of 
gifting that I love to do with my closest friends. Of course, giv-ing a special coin to someone 
in need is always appreciated!

 

The evergreens, the trees, the wreaths, the lights, all good symbols of spiritual renewal and 
eternal spiritual life. That’s what they’re there to remind us of.

 

Santa Claus is a latter day addition to the winter solstice time. Saint Nicholas was a real 
Catholic Bishop from Asia Minor who gave gifts to newlyweds around the Christ-mas season. 

 

The Christmas season’s ancient symbols are intended 
to remind us that even at our darkest moment, there is 
hope for us finding the light again. That is why solstices 
were commemorated in the first place. So in the Christian 
tradition, it was Jesus whose life demonstrated that 
there is a way to live, a way that each of us should follow, 
that can lead us out of our spiritual darkness. That is why 
we commemorate the birth of Jesus at this time. And that 
basic principle is why so many cultures – modern and 
ancient – have taken the time to make this time of the 
year so very special.


Pet of the Week

 Beautiful Delilah is a 3-year-old Malinois mix who is looking 
for a calm, loving home where she can feel safe and cherished. This 
sweet girl is a little on the shy side at first, but once she gets to know 
you, she’s a bundle of love and affection. 

Delilah enjoys her walks, especially when she gets the chance to 
sniff around and explore. She recently went on a field trip with a 
volunteer and loved splashing around in a creek while on a hike.

 Delilah is a very well-behaved girl and knows all her 
training cues. She’s a big fan of pets and treats, especially hot dogs, 
and she’ll happily return to you for some love after a good game of 
ball. While she’s a bit nervous around new environments or busy 
places, she’s always gentle and polite, sitting patiently at crosswalks 
and enjoying a leisurely stroll when the coast is clear.This wallflower 
will thrive in a quieter, low-traffic home, ideally as the only pet. 
She’s looking for a family who can give her the space and calm she 
needs to blossom into her confident, loving self. If you’re looking for 
a sweet and devoted companion to share your quiet moments with, 
Delilah is waiting to meet you!Delilah and all other dogs over 40 
pounds old have their adoption fees waived from December 19 – 31 
during the Roses & Wet Noses adoption promotion at Pasadena HumaneThe normal adoption fee 
for dogs is $150. All dog adoptions include spay or neuter, microchip, and age-appropriate vaccines. 

 Walk-in adoptions are available every day from 2:00 – 5:00. For those who prefer, adoption 
appointments are available daily from 10:30 – 1:30 and can be scheduled online. View photos of 
adoptable pets at pasadenahumane.org.

 New adopters will receive a complimentary health-and-wellness exam from VCA Animal Hospitals, 
as well as a goody bag filled with information about how to care for your pet. 

 Pets may not be available for adoption and cannot be held for potential adopters by phone 
calls or email.


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