As we have grown up we have heard of Christmas. It is mentioned everywhere in newspapers, books, television, the internet, and everywhere else. But what is the real meaning of Christmas? Is it the gifts under the tree, the lights in the windows, the cards in the mail, turkey dinners with family and friends, snow in the yard, stockings hanging in the living room, and shouts of "Merry Christmas" to those who pass us in the streets? Is this really Christmas?
For many people, Christmas is a time of sorrow. They don't have the extra money to buy presents for their children, family, and friends. Many are saddened at Christmastime when they think of their loved ones who will not be able to come home for various reasons. Turkey dinners may be only a wish and not a reality for some.
Another factor is the advertising is it all around us especially during Christmas time. We have become so material that it’s all about gifts or boxing day. Most of us are looking forward so we can buy a new laptop or phone as soon as it comes on sale. These things make Christmas a marketing event not a holiday. A holiday, that is supposed to be spent with family and friends enjoying with each other.
I can explain this with a simple story. I was picking up some items in my neighbourhood convenience store the other day when I noticed this young girl and boy beside me perusing store items. The girl looked about 11; the boy, probably her brother, about 7 or 8. They were under-dressed for the weather with light, layered clothing and basic worn running shoes. They had no winter boots. There were no designer clothes here. They looked more like well-used hand-me-downs. These children looked too lean, perhaps undernourished.
After counting their change, the boy asked the woman at the counter, “Do I have enough for this?” Without hesitation, I took out a toonie (that is all I had; I left the house with just a bit of change and a $5 bill) and said to the boy, “You left this on the counter.” His eyes lit up and he smiled as though I had just given him the Holy Grail. The store clerk and the woman waiting for me to pay looked knowingly at me; they shared that moment. When I was leaving, the young boy looked into my eyes and said, “Thank you!”
I really thought I knew what Christmas was about. Or at least I was caught up in it — the guilt-laden media hype to buy “bigger is better,” the shopping frenzy, the haste to buy for everyone and fit them all in; and then the Christmas meal, gift exchange and rapid departures to other families or far-away destinations.