My friends - I had originally planned to present another in the terminology series in tonight's abbreviated data post, but, in place of that, I am going to offer a few thoughts about Christmas and how it relates to our progenitors and to us today. I think many people would be surprised to learn that Christmas was, for many working class families, just another day with its attendant chores, field work and other toils, with perhaps a piece of fruit given to each of the children, to mark the occasion. Many of our own parents and grandparents received little more than some fruit in a stocking hanging on the mantle, even well into this century. With the commercialization of Christmas, in the latter half of this century, things began to change. The peace and gentleness of the Christmas spirit has, in many ways, been lost in the hurly-burly of today's holiday season. Genealogy, in the past decade, has been rapidly rising as an avocation of millions of Americans. It is now estimated that some 50 million Americans are actively pursuing their roots, compared to perhaps 5 million just 20 years ago. What has caused this upturn in family historians? Part of it may be due to a feeling of "disconnectedness" - a subtle desire to return to a time when things were simpler and gentler and when the world was not so much with us. We see old television shows, such as The Andy Griffith Show, continuing to have great popularity. It was good entertainment, of course, but today it expresses the desire of a great many people to live in a Mayberry somewhere, where the most serious decision of the day might be determining what flavor of ice cream to order at the corner drug store. Christmas in these idyllic places would be one in which all could feel the true spirit of giving and peace was the rule, rather than the exception. Our ancestors Christmas, too, was simple and pure, and I like to think that they spent some time, at some point on that sacred day, reflecting on its meaning. I suspect that they did, and, somehow, I tend to think that they may have had a better grasp on it than we do today. So, as we sit down to our Christmas dinners with our families, let us remember those who went before, and the fact that their Christmas days were far different than ours - but just as meaningful. May you all have a wonderful Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. I'll be monitoring the list, but there will be no data posts tomorrow or on the weekend. -B ============================================================