Let’s talk about Christmas. Not the celebration of the birth of some carpenter’s son more than 2,000 years ago, but what most people in the U.S. think of when one says Christmas: decorated trees, turkey dinner, waking up early, playing in the snow, opening stockings full of chocolate and presents and taking some time off of work and school to be with family – time we don’t get that often.

The celebration of the so-called “holiday season” has been criticized from a number of angles. People say we have lost the “true meaning” of Christmas. They say we have deviated from its roots in religion and faith and turned it into a commercial festival of consumption.

The truth is that people were celebrating the winter solstice long before Christ was a twinkle in his father’s eye. We feasted and decorated to liven the spirit and brighten the world as the darkness of night ate more and more of the day. It’s a fundamental human desire to breathe life and joy into a dark and dangerous season.

Let us celebrate, then. Let us ring bells, string up lights and sing songs on cold, dark nights. Let us hug and kiss our loved ones, exchange gifts with family and strangers and embrace one another. When the world is frozen, trees stand bare of leaves and nature holds its breath, let us sing out with life, love and fire, defying the dying light and celebrating being human.

The true spirit this season is to rejoice no matter what holiday you celebrate. Christmas is about the birth of a new hope. Hanukkah is about finding plenty where you thought there was none. The solstice is about the turning of the seasons and the returning of the light.

So light a candle, kiss someone under the mistletoe, give a gift, dance under the stars and celebrate. Words are not important; actions are, so call it whatever you want, but for this holiday season, live.