There’s no stopping Christmas now. The signs are all around us. The crowded grocery stores and malls filled with last-minute shoppers, the increased church attendance, the parties and merrymaking all spell Christmas.
How did it all begin? Christmas was born with the birth of Jesus Christ. Celebrating Christ’s birthday gives joy to millions of Christians the world over. Since that first Christmas over 2000 years ago, the annual celebration has taken on new meanings other than the birthday of the long-awaited Saviour.
Today, Christmas has changed from a strictly religious Christian celebration to an all-embracing ecumenical one. Christians and non-Christians may look at Christmas trees in different ways but everyone can joyfully celebrate the universal symbols of the holiday:
That is why, for many others, Christmas means bonuses and extra pay. Christmas also is, for many, a time for a much-needed vacation from the everyday pressures of work. Christmas means family reunions, gift-giving, and non-stop eating and booze.
But however one chooses to celebrate Christmas, it is almost always that time of year that finds people in happier spirits. This is a time when the smallest traditions and symbols shine brightly enough to fuel our humanity.
So on this particular Christmas, we remember our dear brothers and sisters who have lost their homes in Mindanao due to the recent series of earthquakes. We remember our rice farmers who face a bleak future in the wake of the government’s importation policy. We remember the people living in conflict areas, caught in the crossfire between government and insurgent forces.
May we be moved so as not just to keep them in our minds and hearts but to compel us to do something for these our brethren. Christmas should make us realize most urgently of the need to give to those who have less.
It is this joy of celebrating and sharing the universal symbols of Christmas that can carry us through the rush of gift purchases, food shopping, and seasonal parties, until that perfect small moment of Christmas joy shines through.
Have a blessed Christmas!
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