WHAT we humans have mastered is the ability to act out scenarios that we do not believe in, but what we conclude will serve us beyond just survival. The thing with acting is that in the end, after enough scenes are displayed, most of the audience aren’t fooled or are impatient for further clarity of all motives of the characters and a workable understanding of the symbolisms implied. But what does Christmas have to do with our scenarios? Well, it’s a euphoria that though it is the root of Christianity, the events around those few daily hours that envelope Christmas does spark a mood of difference and invoke a spark of humanity for that moment within the hours of Christmas, unmatched across human variations and belief systems. Take the Church, its Preachers, Bishops and measure their conduct, as well as the history of the Churches. By no means, they, through coercion and preaching, as charismatic as many of them are, could have sustained the aura of the Christmas mood. It is true that this season we have and still celebrate reaches far older celebrations in the human subconscious memory, and it is to them we must search and reawaken older memories to interpret the language of symbolism that have served humanity as our first light. December is enveloped by the ancient custom of solstices traced back to the basis of Nile cultural Solar practices. Revolving around agricultural harvest festivals, and linked to the divine blessings of the earth mother, thus, the renewal and redeeming of life-itself, when defined in religious language and practice, and the foundation of matriarchal culture. To most, this mostly forgotten past still resides in our sub consciousness and instructs our active consciousness to respond, at times involuntary, against the strict dictates of prudent economics.

That we can link the celebration and social rituals of Christmas to harvest celebrations and customary rites beyond the birth of ‘Jesus’ therefore clarifies why we apply the gratitude and aspirations of the ‘Harvest’ atmosphere of rejuvenation for the more enriched continuity, to rise above the social pestilences that will constantly encroach with foreboding intent, thus, we symbolically embrace the cleaning of the house, renewal of things that must be disposed of, We add newness into the fertile earth that our home represents, towards a stirring of a more sensitive and inspired awareness of ‘being.’ For the 12 months that will follow will require the husbandry of ‘will’ patience and sacrifice, to protect and contain the ‘garden’ that is our family, against all that will uninvitedly visit to challenge the covenant of progress and tranquility of the holistic home, therefore the celebration of family and life, ‘goodwill to all mankind’ will echo, even by those who are with opposing intent, because of the force of ‘the word.’ The personal difficulties that will challenge the mood, will embody in many cases, self-inflicted conditions, due to bad social life style decisions, or, are the domino effect of failures handed down by ineffective national leadership, or enemies without, regardless, the mood of Christmas with its courtesies can summon yesterday’s passing moments of joy that were imprisoned by the dense shadows of the present moment.

Christmas in gender is matriarchal. We men know better than to use the young-adult bachelor argument, brought forward, that Christmas is all about nice food, threads and drinks, the ladies create the gauntlet and men tumble through it grumbling all the way, complaining and in some cases, using subtle counter arguments to persuade programme changes, success with that revolves with time and mood of discussion. Most concerns of men are based on the sobering realities of immediate future (Christmas incurred) debt, assured by the matriarch that based on faith that it will be addressed, to which the balanced male is terrified off, especially if he is not immediately in control of its projected prospects. Among male friends, we discuss jokingly that Christmas is one time of the year when we should conspire to keep our other half at home, but that was realistic years ago, today there’s astral travelling via the technology of Facebook and the hypnotic force of the ‘Tablet’ and I’m not talking aspirins. But the sobering reality of the Biblical first Christmas narrative is the family’s symbolism, the emphasis of facing the present and the future with one mind.

Whether it is ‘the greatest story ever told’ construing that fiction is a possibility, as alluded by generations of skeptics, then its genius has captured our imagination and our human understanding of trials and challenges and the continuity of purpose, in a sea of conflict, with its lessons of resilience. True, its lessons have been corrupted by many, but we continue to hope and greet each other with the compelling courtesy of “Happy Christmas” from me to you.