Rockefeller Plaza, seen from space. Note alignment of tree and 30 Rock obelisk.
The Vatican, facing the obelisk in St. Peter's Square.
Here the tree on the mall faces the Washington Monument obelisk.
And, of course, a mall in Dubai decked out with five-pointed stars.
Here's hoping you and yours have had a wonderful holiday, no matter how you celebrate it. What we should all keep in mind is that the holiday is a celebration of new life in the midst of death, of the Sun returning to strength and promising new life in the spring.
This is universal, and based in an appreciation of the cycles of life and nature, no matter how you choose to relate to them. It's a very powerful and very primal moment for everyone on the planet, and needn't be politicized with religious dogma, or commercialized to the point of tedium.
