Kage Baker loved Christmas Day, This was hardly unusual, or even noteworthy; most Christians and most dwellers in the Western world do love and enjoy the central holiday of so many, many cultures.

This is not to ignore all the myriad cultures that are not Christian and/or Western. Everyone on earth celebrates a midwinter festival of some sort, and the birth of a god or prophet figures in lots of them. Christianity, an inveterate pickpocket of other religion’s good bits, got a lot of Christmas and other rituals that way.

Muslims celebrate Eid al-Fitr in December, Jews have Hannukah. The Incas (yes, they still exist) have the Inti Raymi on the winter Solstice. The list goes on and on.

Anyway, Kage loved Christmas Day. So do I, especially now that I happily spend it with my family. Michael, who is at least half nocturnal, slept in; while Kimberly and I, relentlessly programmed by 60-odd years of rousting our poor parents out of bed in the darkling ere dawn, have been awake since 6:30 or so.

The dog licking my feet also helped. Our Corgi, Syndodd, has a passion for feet, and he burrows under blankets with insane determination. Happy Christmas! Your cold, wet toes mean it’s Christmas Day!

It was a lovely, lazy day of people playing with their new toys. I also got a wonderful set of lounging pajamas, in which I am even now lounging comfortably. I hope you are, too, Dear Readers. Well, not in my pajamas, obviously, but in whatever post-holiday garments make you most comfortable. If you’re in velvet vestments and swigging champagne, I envy you the champagne – but I am happy here in my jammies, with my family, in the light of our Christmas tree.

Happy Christmas, Dear Readers! And a very good night unto to you all.