At first glance, the stuffed Saint Nick looks a bit like a farmer’s scarecrow –– arms stretched wide, looming over a field. At second glance, that field sits empty and yes Virginia, that’s Santa nailed to a cross.
Wright, a Berkeley-educated economist turned painter, says Santa Claus represents an unbridled consumer culture that only becomes amplified and hysterical during the Christmas season.

“The season transcends just receiving a bunch of stuff,” Wright said. “This is a season that is supposed to be festive and happy, where you get together with your family. It’s supposed to be a season of joy, but they have turned it into a commercial orgy.”

Wright, 69, says he was raised Catholic, but doesn’t subscribe to any religion. He and his wife Pattie Cook don’t exchange gifts but celebrate Christmas with a big dinner with family and friends.

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Check it out. Merry X-Mas kiddos.


PS Everyone here knows why we shorten Christmas to X-Mas, right? I didn't think so. Many people think the 'X' is related to the cross, or that the shortening is a 20th century phenomenon. Wrong and wrong. You see, the word 'christians' comes from the Greek, Χριστός Khristós which means "anointed one," which is itself a translation of the Hebrew word Moshiach (Hebrew: משיח, also written "Messiah"), (and in Arabic it is pronounced Maseeh مسيح). The disciples of Jesus of Nazareth were first called as such in Antioch, according to Acts 11:26. In Greek, the letter Χ, pronounced Chi, (CH-eye), is related to the Roman letter 'X.' Thus early on, Christians, or Χριστιανός (Khristianos) and variant Χρηστιανός (Khrestianos) were known as X-tians.