"Agog Christmas Eve"

[Photo: Big Frank Dickinson]

Some Thoughts on Christmas Eve

Merry Christmas Eve? No, you can't really say that; just like you can't say: "Happy New Year's Eve!" Why not? There are only two Eves that we celebrate and there is no agreed upon way to greet people on those days. Merry and Happy don't really work, so let's try out some new ones. How about "Felicitous Christmas Eve to You"? Big Frank likes the alliteration, but 'felicitous' is kind of a high falootin word that might could put some people off, and it starts with a dangerous letter: 'F'. That could lead into such abominations as "F-ing Christmas Eve to you". So, scratch that. If we look a little closer at what the notion of Eve is all about that might help. It's a kind of waiting deal, a day of expectation. The big days (Christmas and New Year's Day) are coming, and you're all excited. In fact, for many the Eves are actually bigger days than either Christmas itself, or New Year's Day. Christmas is really all about presents. Yeah, Big Frank is aware of the Christian deal (peace on earth and good will to men and all), and the whole notion that we were all potentially saved from everlasting damnation when Jesus was born, well actually it all came to fruition when he died, but his birth was kind of like a Salvation Eve, but that's getting way too relgious. So back to the gifts and all . . . many families actually open those gifts on Christmas Eve! So how about something like "Good Openings to You"? Too commercial, it should be a bit more veiled, and should entail some excitement - you know about opening the presents and all. Here's Big Frank's suggestion "Agog Christmas Eve". This is good, because it rhymes with egg nog, and agog is kind of an oldish word, not much used - like merry. Finally it has all the right connotations - impatient, eager, and curious. So to all you blog readers out there "Agog Christmas Eve."