JACKSON -- The Legislature's Jan. 8 opening  on Tuesday is the latest the session can begin.

Under the Mississippi Constitution the session begins the first Tuesday after the first Monday in January. The earliest the session can begin is on Jan. 2 when Monday is New Year's day.

I like the late opening.

First of all it makes it easier to celebrate the holidays. When the session begins early in January, it conflicts with the holidays and forces the early removal of Christmas decorations, which is basically an all day endeavor in the Harrison household where my wife essentially insists on decorating every nook and cranny for the holidays.

But with the late start of the session, we left the Christmas decorations up until this past weekend. During Christmas my wife replaces our regular glasses with 12 Days of Christmas glasses. This means I can get one glass, which is easily identified, and use it for days at a time.

I like that, and I like Christmas decorations.

I wish the Constitution was changed so that the session began on the 8th each year.

For the holidays, it is the right thing to do.