Nick Turner is the 15-year-old son of a pastor here at my church, Dale Turner. He wrote this piece for his high school paper and has since experienced a measure of persecution from his teachers, students, and others in authority.

As the Christmas season rolls around, many people get excited about their time off. Finally, it is time for Christmas vacation.

But nowadays, the title, “Christmas vacation,” is offensive to many people. We now must call it, “Winter Break,” or as PV calls it, “winter recess.”

Yet, there is one thing I do not understand: why is it that we are allowed to say words like Kwanzaa and Hanukkah,

but when the word Christmas comes up, it brings a chill to the bone?

People who do not like this word just need to chill out. Not everybody who celebrates Christmas needs to be a Christian and go to church every Sunday. Christmas is for everybody.

In this country, a person is free to celebrate any holiday they want. We should not, however, single out a single one to complain about.

The holiday is traditionally called Christmas in celebration of “Christ.” The first people to celebrate the holiday did not call it “winter recess” even if it coincided with the winter solstice.

To Christians, Christ is slowly being pushed away from His celebration, similar to when there was not enough room at the inn; He is being turned away again.

This holiday season is a time for family, friends and food. It does not matter what we celebrate – Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or nothing at all.

I enjoy Christmas because it is a time to spend with family and spread the joy of the season. Unfortunately many do not.

It should not be spent complaining about the name. It is a time to come together and spread peace on earth and goodwill towards men.