At Diversity Today, we believe it is very easy to be a HERO. All you need are honesty, empathy, respect and open-mindedness.

In spite of being a little bah-humbuggy, I do look forward to and really enjoy Christmas Eve. It arrives, we have our traditions and *poof*, I get into the 'Christmas spirit.' I've discovered the 'spirit' consists of sleeping in until 2pm on the 25th, staying in my pajamas until about 9pm, showering, and going to get a nice corned beef sandwich at a Jewish deli.

The fact that E and I have diverse circles of friends is not lost on us. However, this past Christmas Eve, it was made quite obvious, I think somewhat to the confusion of our cousin who joined us for festivities. We started at our neighbors' house, where the gathering centers on enjoying the Magical Christmas Caroling Truck. It feels like an old-timey, small town, warm and cozy holiday gathering. The house is very traditionally decorated with the large, beautiful tree as the centerpiece. The fireplace is crackling and a slide show of parties past plays on the tv. Many wear their holiday attire while they enjoy potluck dishes and cocktails, which were served up by a merry bartender. Some of us *ahem* imbibed a fair bit of liquid cheer, which is just customary at this event. A hired Santa brought personalized presents for the children present and posed for photos with families.

After the jolly fat man left (we actually saw him removing his red suit and beard in the driveway!), we ventured on the next event. This shindig was at the home of several guys who don't necessarily possess a penchant for decorating or cleaning. There were no hideous jovial sweaters to be seen. In fact, I do believe every person there was dressed in black with accents of bright pink hair and/or tattoos. An Asian horror flick was muted on the television while a dj filled the house with anything but carols. We arrived a little late, but just in time for a beer run. We chatted with many of our emo/punk/goth friends as they smoked on the front porch. (Not that a couple of folks weren't doing the same at the previous affair).

There was a White Elephant gift exchange at both houses, with completely different rules of course. I don't think I've ever participated in one that didn't have it's own set of guidelines, which are often convoluted and hard to follow. The first group exchanged items such as vases, candle holders, cheesy electronic games, and a tacky angel tree topper. The next bunch fought over farm animal watches, a box of body parts (the most popular and stolen prize), bizarre porn DVDs, and Huey Lewis & The News on vinyl. Each one was amusing in its own way. And we escaped with no scary porn.

I wouldn't say either affair was more fun or better than the other. We had a great time at both and got to see several friends. The only way the night would have rocked more is if I'd been able to round up my collection of Asian friends for a celebration. That's not as offensive as it may sound.

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