Putting the "You" Back in "Yule"

Just when you're wondering why we need to keep reading Europeans, you remember, when they come close enough to see us as more than their evil caricatures, they put it all in proper perspective:

But, above all, the annual fuss about taking Christ out of Christmas misses the central point about the holiday season in America. This time of year captures, perhaps better than any other, the defining characteristic of Americans in the modern world — their lack of cynicism and scepticism, their enduring hope and faith in themselves, their country and even the world around them.

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At other times, I can’t quite take all this American idealism and sentimentality. It is just a bit too much at odds with a complex world. As the country’s critics never tire of observing, it can lead to a little too much certainty and self-belief and a deficit of doubt and acknowledgement of error.

But, at this time of year, a bit of simple faith, a bit of uncynical joy and a bit of human hope induced by that unfathomable miracle that happened a couple of thousand years ago, is right on the mark.

Joyous Solstice to you all. I had a good one. Tomorrow -- actually later this morning -- we're getting married. It's a big secret, so don't tell anyone.

Despite what you read, by the way, Yule is not the name of the Anglo-Saxon winter holiday.