Yeah, happy new year to everybody, and merry whatever birthdays or anything one might celebrate!

(I was comenting to a christian friend of mine that I still felt nice to wish him a merry Christmass, because it is something he celebrates, regardless of it being a mythical man's birthday of just a co-opted pagan celebration of (northern) winter solstice (I also directed him to that beautiful Dar Williams' song we learned about from Tony).
Later, I got this his SMS'ed Christmas greeting:
"Merry Solstice, and may your days grow longer and longer!" )