Dear Editor,

THE world is swinging in the season of Christmas when Christmas comes once a year and so each person should have a share. In the countries with cold climates, when fall has given way to winter and snow covers the ground while lights twinkle from house to house, you know Christmas is coming. Decorated Christmas trees are everywhere you look. Presents crowd for space under the tree and families come together for a turkey feast. Christmas is one of the most important Christian and cultural holidays of the year. In America, the Christmas celebrations, shopping, preparations and decorations commence from the night of Thanksgiving Day.

In Guyana, from the beginning of December, the country grooves into the Christmas mood, beginning with the selling of everything Christmas, the decoration of homes, offices, buildings and streets, the displays of fairy-lights, the Christmas tree planting and the playing of Christmas songs and carols over the air and in the stores. This is the time when stores and shops expect to boom in sales and many small vendors are hoping to make an extra ‘piece.’ The streets are crowded with traffic, the pavements are spaceless to walk, the stores are cramped with shoppers and buyers, people are elaborately dressed, all the fancy decorations are out, new furniture and appliances are purchased, food and drinks preparations are pursued, including, black, fruit and sponge cakes, pepperpot, chicken curry and dhal puri, ginger beer and sorrel drinks. There was a time when neighbours would gather at one person’s home to do all the baking on a ‘fireside’ oven or a kerosene stove oven. The baking pans were not as fancy as the modern times and sardine tins were a substitute. ‘Ice apples’ and grapes were a delicacy along with chocolates and the imported biscuits, cookies and sweets. Of course, small children expect to go see Santa Clause while toys and other gifts are bought, wrapped and hidden for the surprise on Christmas morning.

The masquerade bands would ply their routes with their “Long Ladies” and ‘Bull cows,’ while their exotic, ecstatic and entertaining juvenile dancers would perform their heroic and acrobatic dances to thrill the spectators, meanwhile posing a danger to the moving traffic. Many of the traditions are still maintained, but the practice of small boys dressing up on Christmas Eve night, banding together, walking in the neighbourhood  and dancing to the beat of their own boy-made instruments (hitting cans, beating drum covers, blowing whistles, and mouth organs), is a dying or faded custom. Lighting up fire crackers was a major past time and “rackling” carbon in Ovaltine or Milo cans to a booming sound was another favourite. Going to the cinema, especially children to a 9am show was a popular feature for this time of the year. This is also a thriving business season for ‘pick pockets.’

Many of us celebrating Christmas will already be eagerly anticipating the festive food, excessive boozing and dreading being in an unashamedly skint way before the end of December. Christmas for many of us means a great deal of eating, drinking and spending too much money. Most of us would assume it originates from the word Christ, as the whole idea of Christmas is to celebrate the birth of Jesus (no, it’s not just about the presents). Most Christmas traditions vary in significance and symbolic meaning. For example, we exchange gifts because God sent us a precious gift. For Christians, the true meaning of Christmas is the celebration of the Saviour, Jesus Christ. Jesus was born in order to pay the price for the things we have done wrong: sin. Christmas is a time of spiritual reflection on the important foundations of the Christian faith. It’s also a celebration. It’s when Christians celebrate God’s love for the world through the birth of the Christ child, Jesus. The Bible tells of his birth hundreds of years before, fulfilling prophecies.

But what is the true meaning of Christmas? Is it the Midnight Christmas Mass or the giving of gifts or the distribution of toys or food hampers or money? Is it the annual economic boost on receiving bonuses? Is it the parties, the gatherings, the speeches, the shopping, the food, the drinks, the cakes, the music and the families getting together? This year, Christmas is threatened by the pandemic attack of COVID-19 and its repercussions. Many countries are discouraging the celebration of Christmas and calling for its postponement, not to travel or banning travelling and to stay at home and to avoid large family gatherings. The significance of Christmas is possibly lost or interwoven with its cyclic events, rippling in waves of death, sickness, and closures of businesses, job layoffs and unemployment. The domino effects are translated into poverty, suffering, hunger, food shortage, income scarcity, expense increases, depression, oppression and suppression. Further taxed for aid and coming to the rescue are demanding contributions from governments, employers, organisations, companies, clubs, associations, churches, mosques, mandirs, temples, other charitable societies and generous people.

People are encouraged to get into the Christmas “Spirit.” This “feelings” means different things to different people. To Scrooge, the Christmas spirit was a ghost. To the liquor industry, the Christmas spirit comes in a bottle. Some people feel that the Christmas spirit is somehow the truce that takes place in the family when nobody brings up the issues, the quarrels. The Christmas spirit is expressed in a card that conveys a sentiment of well-being. A small child thought that it is really contentment, because that’s what you need to be when you don’t get what you want. For some people it is an attitude of happiness found in the fellowship of friends or the party spirit while consuming drinks and turkeys.  For many, however, the Christmas spirit is not so trivial or so frivolous or so fun.  For many, the Christmas spirit is one of profound sadness, increased depression because all that is wrong in your life is then measured against the hilarity of the time and seems even more profoundly painful. It is bitter for poor mothers who cannot provide a proper meal or toy or clothing or a wreath for the grave of a little boy. For others, it’s a time for saying thanks for some very basic things. But, getting down to the core of this deal, what is the true spirit of Christmas? Ask yourself, is it the fun or fellowship? Is it the giving or receiving? Is it the sharing and caring? What really does it mean to you? Whatever you do or don’t do, do have yourself a happy, merry, blessed, healthy and safe Christmas holiday.

Respectfully,
Jai Lall.