Dear Editor,

“CHESTNUTS roasting on an open fire. Jack Frost nipping at your nose. Yuletide carols being sung by a choir. And folks dressed up like Eskimos…Although it’s been said, many times, in many ways Merry Christmas to you.” So, another year has almost passed and Christmas is upon us once again. It is the time of year when Christians reflect on the birth of Jesus Christ whom they worship as their Lord and Saviour. While Christmas is a festive season that represents peace on earth and goodwill to all mankind, our sympathy goes out to all those who are bedridden in hospitals and who have lost loved ones during the year. This Yuletide season brings hope to many as it is a period of reflection on our lives and how we must redouble our efforts in 2025 to love one another and live in peace and harmony and make Guyana a prosperous nation.

If there is ever a time when politics should take a holiday, that time is at Christmas when families from all walks of life come together to celebrate the occasion with various religious and non-religious festivities. It would be very easy to dwell on the negative, but in this blessed and joyous season, let us choose happiness over sadness, love instead of hatred, forgiveness rather than vengeance/retribution and peace as an alternative to war as we embrace the special joy of a Guyanese Christmas at home and abroad. Those who can enjoy the warmth of the sunshine in Guyana and its fine dishes: pepper pot, curry and roti/puri, cook-up, ham, roasted pork, black cake and ginger beer etc. should think of our fellow Guyanese in the Diaspora who are overwhelmed with nostalgia at this festive time of the year as they endured the cold climate.

Christmas is a time of healing and friendliness to all mankind. What more appropriate time can there be for us Guyanese to forget the hurt, the animosity, the persecution, the frustration and the bitterness of the past? We call on each of you to renew your spirit in the Almighty and your love and affection towards one another; hold out the hand of friendship to neighbours, friends; to those from whom you have been estranged and to the persons who have done you wrong. Let us recapture the spirit of the message that brought joy to the world 2000 years ago by the Babe of Bethlehem. Let us celebrate and be happy and pledge to work together to free Guyana from the monsters of poverty, homelessness, crime, corruption, prejudice and intolerance. We must spare no effort to rid our beloved country from the division of the races and return it to a true and meaningful, loving and a peaceful nation.

In this festive season, we are pleased to encourage our fellow Guyanese to pray for Guyana and the prosperity of all Guyanese and for commonsense and understanding to prevail in their actions at all times. We also pray for peace, happiness and goodwill towards peoples all around the world,; for love towards one another and hatred towards none. Perhaps the holidays will give our national leaders a chance to reflect on a plan that is inclusive of all in society, so that they can make better personal and political choices in 2025, and embrace the new year as one of healing, atonement and co-operation, and provide genuine, honest and well-intentioned leadership to the nation.

There is no shortage of sharing and goodwill in Guyana, especially at this time of year. There are stories everywhere of people giving to the less fortunate, the elderly, the homeless and to children. There are many more acts of kindness being displayed throughout the holiday season, but which are not reported. To those who have and continue to extend a kind and helping hand to others, we thank you for a job well done. For if that display of human compassion helps to change the life of just one person for the better, it would have been worth the effort. However, the spirit of giving has not been made easy for many because of the high cost of living.

In fact, there are many others who wanted to give but are not in a position to do so, because they could hardly provide for their own families. This is the sad state the poor and the working class found themselves in, and efforts must be made to improve their lives. We call on the government to show compassion and heed the wishes of the poor and the powerless. Needless to say, the true meaning of Christmas continues to elude many Guyanese because of their poverty and unbearable living conditions. Too often, it is the greedy, not the needy; the rich and powerful and not the poor and the powerless who get the most attention at Christmas.

We would be remiss if we did not express our deep concern and heartfelt love for the future of our beloved country that is plagued with problems—political, economic and social—too numerous to mention. We commend and admire those who are helping the poor, who through no fault of their own are struggling to make ends meet. Nothing much has changed in their lives during the past year and from all indications, this may be a very bleak Christmas for many of them who are becoming poorer by the day.

Our fervent wish in this season of goodwill is that our fellow Guyanese will put their shoulders to the wheel to help develop and build Guyana so that all, not only a selected few, can share in the bounties of its prosperity. We love politics but more importantly, we love Guyana and the people who are struggling to survive and provide for their children. God bless our beautiful Guyana, its philanthropists and its resilient, loving and caring people. We remain proud of all Guyanese at home and in the diaspora and wish them a bright, successful and happy future and sincerely hope that they will live to see and enjoy many more Christmases. We also would like to wish our leaders in the government His Excellency Dr. Irfaan Ali, Honorable Prime Minister Brigadier (ret’d) Mark Phillips, Vice President Dr. Bharat Jagdeo, the leader of the opposition, Mr. Aubrey Norton and the executives and members of the Macedonia Joppa Voluntary Committee (MJVC) and all the people, rich or poor a safe, happy and enjoyable Christmas.

Merry Christmas dear countrymen and women; we hope you will enjoy the festive season in peace, love and happiness. May God bless our beloved Guyana and all of you and keep you safe.

Sincerely,
Dr. Asquith Rose.