reynardo | I've just read the best description of Christmas I've seen in a long time.

ginmar is a female soldier in Iraq, whose LiveJournal is peppered with Buffy references, feminism and comments on how the system is working. But her latest one ended up with a paragraph that to me is the true Christmas spirit. I quote here:

If it were up to the little people, we'd probably be roasting a lamb and figuring out a way to combine Ramadan, Christmas, and Chanukah into one maximum-gift-giving frenzy. Plus mashed potatoes. Because when it comes down it, the more I have to do with all the different nationalities here, it boils down to a bunch of very simple things: Heat. Hot water. Electricity and good books. Bad books. Good conversation----and bad conversation, to give one some perspective. Being seen as one's self, not as one's country or religion. Finding out that other people have good points, after all. And, finally, a good year-ending holiday that involves presents and hope and mashed potatoes and good friends.

(The full entry can be found here, and I strongly recommend the rest of her journal for some factual stuff about the real conditions in Iraq.)