Isn’t it time for the networks to show that Charles Dickens classic “A Holiday Carol,” starring Alastair Sim? Who can forget Bing Crosby’s biggest hit, “White Holiday”? Have you seen the latest Tim Allen movie, “Holiday with the Kranks”?

Ridiculous, isn’t it, but it seems as if the word Christmas is creating as great a stir as the word “Voldemort” does in the Harry Potter films. Shhhh. It’s become the word that must not be spoken.

Federated Department Stores banned any mention of the words “Merry Christmas” in preholiday advertising or store displays, so as not to offend anybody. A California group, Committee to Save Christmas, has started a boycott against the department stores, but let’s get real, shall we? Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s are stores doing business. They are not places where we should be looking for uplifting spirituality.

It’s just not worth getting upset about when there’s so much to enjoy in New York at this time of the year. The town is lit up brightly. The huge tree in Rockefeller Center is drawing as many visitors as it always has. Unfortunately, the major store displays have become increasingly secular, and even pagans and nonbelievers must miss the traditional winter scenes that harked back to a time when December 25 was a time for generosity and good cheer. For all those who want to take that nostalgic trip back to a simpler time, I recommend a visit to Richmondtown Restoration here on Staten Island.

Not many New Yorkers know that we have our own Williamsburg, Va.-type historical center in New York City. Certainly, when I was a Manhattanite, Staten Island was the outer borough commonly referred to as the boondocks. But I’ve been living here for more than 26 years and I am still surprised by the treasures available to us, for little or no charge.

On the next two Saturdays, Historical Richmondtown is holding its candlelight tours, and I was enchanted when I enjoyed one a couple of years ago. Guests on the evening tour are given candles to light their way around the grounds. The guides are dressed in period clothing, and guests are treated to holiday treats and sweets baked in the hearths of yesteryear. The homes are authentically lit with candles and lanterns, creating a smoky environment slightly reminiscent of what New York bars were like before Mayor Bloomberg’s smoking ban.

The hundred-acre Richmondtown has 15 completely restored buildings, including homes and businesses from the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. The oldest schoolhouse in New York, the Voorlezer’s House, dates from 1690.

The tour I was on included a stop in a general store, where five musicians in period dress played a ditty on the order of “Greensleeves.” I felt as if I were on a movie set. All the volunteers who work in Richmondtown remain faithful to their roles. Other stops on the tour include one to an “olde” tavern, where you will be treated to hot wine toddies and a game of skittles – which is similar to miniature bowling. My tour ended in the Richmondtown courthouse, where refreshments were served.

Prepaid reservations are required and can be placed for the December 11 and December 18 tours by calling 718-351-1611. The tours start hourly between 4:50 and 8:50 p.m. and last about 90 minutes. The fee is $25. Take the No. 74 bus from the Staten Island ferry terminal.

If this doesn’t get you in the holiday mood, then perhaps you should consider the adage “‘Tis better to give than to receive,” and the most deserving of all this year are the men and women serving in our military.

There are many deserving organizations that have been established since the start of the Iraqi conflict. The one I have personally found most rewarding is the one that allowed me to adopt a soldier.

At http://www.soldiersangels.com one can link to the Adopt a Soldier program that will furnish you with the name of a deserving member of the military. The soldier my family adopted was submitted by his sister, who wrote that her brother did not have a mother to send him care packages.

We live in the land of plenty. Most of us get to sleep in comfort and under warm blankets. I received an e-mail, which contained photos of our men and women curled up on the ground or in trenches. The idea of sending a lonely soldier any kind of comfort from a grateful American is the perfect antidote to celebrating this un-Christmas holiday.