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A bygone Christmas what good did we make of it
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Wherever it originates from, whoever must have born this brilliant idea about 1,700 years ago, is only necessary to history. What is relevant in our days is how meaningful we celebrate it – Christmas.
To the very young enthusiast, Christmas is just having new clothing, toys, sweets and other fantasy gifts from relatives and friends. Counting some twenty years back, I find myself among this naXve group of people. When we have vacated for the Christmas holidays, it was always a different world outside the rigid disciplines of school. The nativity plays couldnÕt give us an insight as to what Christmas stands for. The grocery shopping and chicken soup were enough to let us know that Christmas is another traditional festival in the tropical hamattan days of Ghana, rather than the birth of Jesus Christ.
Quite significantly, most families throughout the globe have used this occasion to establish family reunions through parties and special invited diners. |
There're some sense in this, aren’t there? Especially in a world where we have lost harmony in marriages, homes and neighbourhoods – and so desire unity from a sort of communion to settle our differences.
I wonder how many people took advantage of this peace-making element of the past occasion. Within the human soul, as we know, has always been a desperate need for peace. This case explains it better: in the heat of enmity, the British and German forces came to a truce by exchanging goodwill on 25th Dec. 1914, at the front of World War I. Legends have it that they even played football. I hope the immediate past Christmas came with a similar miracle to bind relationships.
Another glorious side has, for centuries, been the pleasure to clean and decorate homes, streets, and public buildings. This custom of holly, balloons, coloured lights etc at every corner make it worthwhile to wallow into the joy and the material delight Christmas brings. Regardless of one's religious background, this godly beauty towards the last week of the year is a welcome event. If your home is still bright with tinsel, then you must be in the mood like I am.
So, a belated Merry!
Yet there's another side of the coin that puts pressure on people. Thus the commercial aspect of Christmas. In our want to show love to families and friends, not everyone can adjust him/herself to moderate spending. Sorry to say most people end-up in debt upon extravagant purchase from cookies to jewellery. As much as we desire to express love, I think we can humbly stick to the conventional card sending; to avoid the cost that would eventually affect payment of other bills in the long run.
Can you believe that on 4th December '06, Christmas online sales alone (as predicted by Internet Media Retail Group) was expected to hit £180 million – more than doubling the £82 million, daily average sales, as thousands of Britons log on to buy gifts listed for the just-ended Christmas. I confess to be in favour of luxurious goods during this season – but I did cut my coat according to my size. I hope yours too was wisely spent.
Now that the carols and feasting are over, have you known the one whose birthday we celebrated? Have you kept a relationship with him? Personally I wish to know him because thereÕs so much life in him, so says the Holy Bible. As I wish you also live to know Jesus Christ, have a very happy new year. Long live African Echo and all its readers!
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