Christmas? What? Oh, crap. Rodney had completely forgotten that particular date.
Sheppard, apparently, was following the same thought pattern. "Christmas? With presents?"
"Yes," Elizabeth replied. "I was thinking we could host a celebration in Atlantis. And not just for Christmas—Hanukah, Kwanzaa, all the seasonal holidays."
"Excuse me?" Teyla asserted, looking very confused. "What is Kreestmis? And…Honeykuh?" She raised her eyebrows very slightly.
Sheppard looked at her like she was crazy—before he remembered that she and Ronon were natives of the Pegasus galaxy, not Earth—but it was Elizabeth who answered.
"Christmas and Hanukkah are festivals we celebrate on Earth," she explained. "Different cultures celebrate by giving gifts and celebrating their religion." Turning to Rodney and Sheppard, she said, "What do you two think? I think that this would make all the expedition members feel closer to home."
Rodney quickly spoke his mind. "Are you nuts? Where would we get decorations? And gifts? Do we even have a menorah on Atlantis?"
"What's a menorah?" asked Ronon, his eyebrows lifted. "Sounds like a weapon."
"No, no! A menorah is a… never mind, you wouldn't get it anyway." Rodney said, annoyed. "It has something to do with Hanukah, okay?"
Sheppard's eyes, meanwhile, had filled with light. "I think it's a great idea!"
"I'm glad you think so, John!" said Elizabeth.
"But, but… like I said, what about decorations and supplies?" Rodney whined.
"That's a problem that can be solved." Elizabeth replied, taking a bite of her breakfast. "The point of the celebration isn't to make the whole place look pretty. It's to boost morale and remind the expedition members that even though we're far away from home, we can still be close in spirit. As for the gifts, we can always trade through the gate. I'm sure there are lots of great things that can be given as gifts—after all there's a whole galaxy out there."
"I think it would be fascinating," said Teyla. "It would give me a chance to learn about Earth cultures, and I agree that it would be beneficial."
"I'm for it too." said Ronon, smacking Sheppard, who was grinning at Elizabeth, on the shoulder. Sheppard winced.
Rodney, looking around and seeing that he was outnumbered, put on his don't-blame-me-if-something-goes-wrong face. "Fine, but believe me, this'll turns chaotic. Besides, I doubt the Wraith will wait for us to have our little festival before they attack, if they show up. And I don't think they'll be bringing us presents and good cheer."
"Stop being whiny, Rodney." Sheppard said. "It sounds fun. Besides, we haven't picked up any Wraith activity for the last two weeks. "
Elizabeth smiled, encouraged by Sheppard's smiling face. "Great, then! I'll hold a meeting with the entire senior staff just to confirm, but I'm pretty sure everyone's for it. Except, you, Rodney."
Rodney scowled.