Merry Christmas

Charm City celebrities, no matter where they were, woke early to send seasons Tweetings. Here are just a few: Raven Terrence Cody ‏@TerrenceCody Merry Christmas twitter and twitter fam TV reporter Jessica Kartalija ‏@JessKartalija Can't wait for everyone to get up and see what Santa brought!! Merry Christmas! #whitechristmas Olympian Michael Phelps ‏@MichaelPhelps Merry Xmas tweep!!! And happy holidays!! Another Phelps ‏@MichaelPhelps Something's never change....

Airline fares up on Christmas Eve: There's the Scrooge spiri for you.The troops in Somalia wanted Madonna this New Year's, but will have to settle for George.No matter what, Merry Christmas!

It's getting to be time to think about doing the Christmas cards.The Maryland Historical Society will strip the assets of the City Life Museums, leaving the city with cherished landmarks as empty buildings it does not know what to do with and cannot afford to maintain. Sure glad they settled that one.Cheer up. The Ravens will be better next year.Merry Christmas!Pub Date: 12/24/97hTC

ISSUE: -- A debate has arisen about what some call the troubling secularization of Christmas with the use of terms such as "holiday tree" instead of "Christmas tree," and the greeting "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas." Others say such concerns are an overreaction and that Christmas is alive and well no matter what phraseology comes into vogue. Do you favor "Happy Holidays" or "Merry Christmas" and why? Celebrate it -- or just eliminate it It doesn't have to say "Merry" but it definitely should include "Christmas."

From The Sun Dec. 23-29, 1840Dec. 24: The harbor of Baltimore has not yet been closed by the ice and the navigation to our city is entirely uninterrupted.Dec. 28: Another white mantle has fallen upon the shoulders of the city. Snow commenced falling at an early hour on Saturday morning last and continued to descend throughout nearly the whole day.0`From The Sun Dec. 23-29, 1890Dec. 25: Merry Christmas -- The familiar greeting which The Sun sends to its many thousands of readers is one, ever old, ever new, which today will carry a ray of good fellowship, of kindly good will to innumerable hearts.

Clay Aiken You can admit it: You're a Claymate, a Clay fanatic, a Clay addict. You love Clay Aiken, his voice, his personality, his various 'do's, everything about the 28-year-old American Idol runner-up. And nope, there's no place you'd rather be Wednesday than the Lyric Opera House, where the singing sensation brings his holiday songs for a festive Christmas show. Aiken will perform tunes from his Christmas album, Merry Christmas With Love, as well as other holiday favorites. The show begins at 8 p.m. Wednesday at the Lyric Opera House, 140 W. Mount Royal Ave. Tickets are $50 and $65. Call 410-547-SEAT or go to ticketmaster.

It is that time of year when all levels of government attempt to convince us that there is no Christmas holiday. That this is simply a winter thing. What a joke. Like the appearance of or the mention of a religious symbol somewhere in, on or near a public building will some how create a religion. If these people want to be taken seriously they would not close schools, government offices, etc. during this winter thing. Fortunately, most citizens see this for what it is, stupid. And, to all, including those in charge, a very Merry Christmas.

ARLINGTON, VA. -- The effort by some cable TV hosts and ministers to force commercial establishments into wishing everyone a "Merry Christmas" might be more objectionable to the one who is the reason for the season than the "Happy Holidays" mantra required by some store managers. I have never understood why so many Christians feel the need to see and hear "Merry Christmas" proclaimed to them at stores by people who might not believe its central message. While TV personalities, junk mail letters and some of the ordained bemoan the increasing secularization of culture, perhaps some teaching might be helpful from the one in whose behalf they claim to speak.

By one measure, Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. leads the nation in holiday cheer. This season, he sent 40,000 holiday cards to friends and supporters, more than any other governor in the nation, according to stateline.org, a news Web site funded by the Pew Charitable Trusts. Despite Maryland's small size, Ehrlich beats his nearest competitor - Pennsylvania Gov. Edward G. Rendell - by about 12,500, the Web site reported. "The governor has a lot of friends and supporters, a fact that will become more evident in the next year," Ehrlich spokeswoman Shareese N. DeLeaver said.

Holiday adapts to meet the needs of diverse society I feel sorry for Cal Thomas, and anyone who sees himself as among the "us" mentioned in his column "Let's take back Christmas" (Opinion * Commentary, Dec. 15). During my childhood in a small community where I never met a non-Christian, it did not seem strange that the Christmas program at school shared many of the elements of the one at church. But now that I live in a more diverse community, where my children's schoolmates come from several different religious backgrounds, I would be surprised to see Jesus override Santa Claus at a school's Christmas presentation.