|
In
search of meaning
So this is Christmas, and what have you done?
Another year over, and a new one just begun…
As the familiar Christmas songs take over the airwaves on every
single radio station, one wonders whether Christmas has lost its
true meaning, leaving us jaded and regarding Christmas as just another
commercial event.
In
a reflection of society today – a cross section of young adults,
single and married, chosen at random, all had a varied response
to the question: What comes to your mind when you hear the word
‘Christmas’? Their answers were all spontaneous: just
the way we like them!
Best friends Shareena and Niroshini had answers that were poles
apart to say the least.
Shareena
“Spending time with family: and our own family tradition
during Christmas. When we come home after Midnight Mass, we get
together for some Christmas cake and wine and then we all open our
Christmas presents. On the 26th and the 27th we visit relatives
and if they are nearby maybe on the 25th itself.”
Niroshini
“Great time for shopping-bargains and an excuse
to shop. Christmas lunch is basically only with family members and
nothing much else anyway – Oh yeah, Breudher for breakfast
is a must.”
Husbands
and wives are not much different when airing totally different ideas
regarding this festive season. Just take a look at what these three
couples had to say.
Taanya
“I love Christmas – the whole family atmosphere
when the whole world comes together with parties and gifts, the
decorations you see when you walk down the streets, Santa Claus…We
have this special tradition where we still have a Santa Claus. So
before Christmas I go home to my parents’ place and put their
gifts into the pillow cases we use as stockings and come back, and
my parents would have my gift waiting for me on Christmas day when
we visit.”
Johan
(Taanya’s husband)
“Christmas hasn’t meant much till about three
years ago – the true meaning was never there, just Santa,
holidays and that it has to do with Christ.”
“Personally it has meaning now because it has become a time
for giving rather than receiving – giving to those who would
probably have a lousy Christmas. We get together now and make hampers
and give people and that brings a lot of satisfaction and my whole
outlook has somewhat changed.”
Nicola
“It’s a time for giving and sharing the whole
meaning of Christmas and the birth of Christ. Now people are more
interested in shopping. Our usual Christmas day is dinner at my
mum’s, lunch with the in-laws, attending the church service
in the morning and exchanging gifts. We usually go out a lot during
the season…”
Saty
(Nicola’s husband)
“I’m not too much of a follower of religion,
so for me it’s more of a time where I go out and meet my friends.
I’m in the field of entertainment so it’s a very busy
time with promotions. Of course meeting up as a family is a must
during this season.”
Naomi
“Christmas is a time when you think of God reaching
out and giving us Jesus. I remember when I was in the Middle East
as a child, we would get up early morning to unwrap the presents
and we had so many people over for Christmas. There were many young
people who have left their families to come work there and my parents
would host them. There would be a mountain of gifts under the tree.”
Suraj
(Naomi’s husband)
“It’s getting from bad to worse. Earlier the
preparations would start from early December, but now it begins
by November. It has become just about selling a product, it’s
really selfish using this event to sell and do business. It’s
a total contradiction to the history of this event. It’s sad
that people are losing the very essence of what Christmas really
is – Jesus coming to Earth for a mission. Now it’s simply
about making money out of a significant event.”
With their thoughts ringing in my ears, I was no longer surprised
to hear these ideas expressed by the 20-somethings that I spoke
to next.
Yoland
“I always liked Christmas because of the air of
hope: for me the fact that God would humble himself to come in the
form of a baby just to give hope to his people, helps put a lot
of things in perspective.”
Marisa
“I am basically one of those people who are not
jaded with time: Christmas trees, Santa, all mean a lot to me. I
still believe it holds a lot of good will and rejoicing. This childish
feeling has remained with me throughout and it has become more precious
and exciting with the passing of time.”
Shawn
“People are robbing it of its spiritual reality.
They are avoiding putting Christ in Christmas and are instead putting
in Santa. What does X’mas mean anyway? ‘X’ means
the unknown – is Christ unknown?”
“People
just go about expecting gifts and wasting money on things like firecrackers.
In fact most don’t even know the symbolical meaning behind
the decorations on a Christmas tree. There was a time when we actually
had a real ‘Christmas tree’ in our garden but now that
is gone too. There is hardly any unity.”
And so this is Christmas, I hope you have fun
The near and the dear one, The old and the young…
|
