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The one thing we all want at Christmas
Opinion: What are you GIVING this year?
No matter where we celebrate Christmas, the one common thing that we all share is the desire to make other people happy. This doesn't have to mean buying outside of our price range or putting ourselves into debt though. Christmas should not be about consumerism and materialism, but rather about coming together and helping those who have nothing. It should be a time where we help those in need, where we reach out to the old and the lonely, where we act like children and roll through the snow, where we CELEBRATE the GIFT of life.
In Ireland, Christmas means getting prepared to celebrate the birth of Our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ. It is a time to participate once again in his birth and to imitate him here on earth.
In India, people decorate their houses with garlands and give presents to their friends. In China, they also celebrate on Christmas Day and all shops are closed as a mark of respect. In Australia, they celebrate on this day, but the shops remain open. In Egypt, people celebrate the birthday of their great saviour Horus on this day. Horus was the Egyptian God of light and the son of the "Virgin mother" and Queen of the Heavens. In France, it is a time for family and generosity. In some parts of France, the celebrations begin on the 6th of December. On the 8th of December, the people in Lyon celebrate 'La Fete de Lumieres’, paying homage to the Virgin Mary by putting candles in their windows to light up the city.
The Germans are more traditional and their main focus is on the religious element of the festival. The Greeks celebrate the birthday of Hercules, Zeus and the God of wine and revelry Dionysus on this day. The Scandinavians celebrate the birthday of the God Freyr, the son of their supreme God of the heavens, Odin. In African countries, the emphasis is more on religion and most of the time is spent in the churches. The most common present (and usually the only present), bought for each person is a new set of clothes.
Every country has their own unique and special way of celebrating the feast of Christmas, but the one common bond is the togetherness of the family and the theme of GIVING. Giving doesn't have to mean the giving of expensive things though. It can also mean the giving of time, it can mean visiting those in need or it can mean helping someone less fortunate than oneself. It is a time where we can honour and remember those who have gone before us and who once shared our Christmas with us.
It can be a time where we leave one extra plate at the table for an old family member that we are not talking to, it can be a time for reconciliation and forgiveness, it can be a time to invite someone on their own to Christmas dinner. It is not a time for greed or selfishness or waste. There is too much waste in the world today without adding to it. It should not be a time of stress or panic, but a time of joy and peace where we can marvel at the beauty of life, where we can be thankful for all that we have (not all that we want) and where we can be with our family and friends and treasure them. For me, it is about being present to all that I am and all that I have.
So whether we say 'Happy Christmas’, ‘Nollag Sona’ (Irish), ‘Feliz Navidad’ (Spanish), ‘Sretan Bozic’(Croatian), ‘Joyeux Noel’ (French), ‘Afishapa’ (African), ‘Schastlivogo’ (Russian),’ Craciun Fericit ‘(Romanian), ‘Wesolych Swiat’ (Polish), ‘Frohe Weihnachten’ (German), ‘Feliz Natal’ (Portuguese), ‘Shengdan Kuaile’ (Chinese), or ‘Buon Natale’ (Italian); the one thing we all share is the desire to be loved and to love.
So, this Christmas, be happy and be there for your family and friends in the true spirit of Christmas. Give what you can and no more. Don't let fun be a thing of the past and don't get caught up in the worry and hustle. Instead, have a happy Christmas and make someone smile!
By: Amanda Curran
