Image: Milky Way scientists—Dulce Hidgar, Rebekah Riley, Emmanuel Rodriquez, Jose Miguel Rodriquez Ortiz and Deborah Baker.
“We are now in a position to see the wonder and terror of the human predicament.â€
                                   The Immense Journey, Loren Eiseley
Today, 12-12-13, marks the winter solstice for us. Although the official solstice isn’t until Dec. 21, tomorrow evening the sun will set one minute later for us in the Napa Valley.  For over 100,000 years “modern†man has been watching the sun, moon and stars for physical, mental and spiritual guidance. Many cultures were polytheistic and designated gods and goddesses for many purposes. Many decided that it was important to offer various gifts to these gods.
It is possible that the most important factors leading to the greatness of the United States are rooted in biology. The dual phenomena of biological diversity and hybrid vigor have contributed to a highly successful blend of genes. Adding diverse cultural, ethnic, religious and language elements has created a nation unlike any other on the planet.
I suspect that no other American holiday represents such a broad mélange of blended rituals, beliefs and customs. For many Latin and European immigrants, Christmas Day is still a holy day and gifts are exchanged on “Epiphany,†the day that commemorates the arrival of the Three Kings. Others put up evergreen trees with lights that symbolize the hope of surviving a cold winter season, burn a Yule log on Christmas Eve and wait for Santa Claus. Exchanging gifts, roasting chestnuts, building gingerbread houses, sipping eggnog, decking the halls and singing carols may be part of each family’s tradition. All in all, the holiday can be a multifaceted blend of religious, secular, and mythological components that have evolved throughout 2013 years. One of the most unusual, perhaps bizarre customs, involves kissing under a sprig of mistletoe.
Most of us are living in the very comfortable “now†and neither willing nor likely to consider our animal origins and the evolution of the latest manifestation of Christmas. One noteworthy example is a Druid tradition that involved mistletoe. The idea of beauty pageants did not begin with the “Miss America†contest. Many cultures had various versions of harvest festivals as did the Druids. It was common to make some kind of offering to the gods/goddesses of the harvest as an act of thanksgiving. In one version of the Druid celebration, the most beautiful virgin female was selected as the offering. She stood under a sprig of mistletoe growing on an oak tree. All the men lined up and gave her a kiss before she was wrapped in linen and placed on a fire as an offering to the god of harvest.
While some people have marginalized the importance of the Ten Commandments, it is inconceivable to imagine living in a world before they became widely accepted guidelines.
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 Little wonder we can joyfully say, Merry Christmas.