|
Monday, December 27, 2004
Commentary: season of joy
By Jun A. Malig
Commentary
“TWAS the night before Christmas, when all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse; the stockings were hung by the chimney with care, in hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there.” — Major Henry Livingston Jr.
The poem’s stanza clearly manifests every child’s Christmas hope to receive gifts not only from Santa Claus but also from their parents, uncles and aunties, or godparents. I used to wait for Santa when I was a little boy every Christmas eve. Although I never had the chance to even hear Santa’s sleigh or reindeers until I fall asleep, it was always surprising to find some candies or peso bills inside the sock by the window every Christmas morning. (Of course I eventually found out the cash and goodies actually came from my parents.)
We can hardly think of Christmas without gifts to give and receive. The season is a festival of merry making and gift giving. The tradition was started by the three wise men (Magi) that came from the east of Israel to honor the infant Jesus with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. Today, gifts may be in the form of cash (which is particularly preferred my most adults and many children), clothing, souvenir item, personal accessories, or toys. They could be classic, funny, clever, convenient or useful.
Thinking about a gift for a friend or loved one may be time-consuming yet enjoyable. Thoughts about the gifts you expect to receive from someone are usually doubly pleasant. But nothing beats the elation you feel in seeing the facial expressions of loved ones upon opening the gifts you gave them, especially the children. It makes you conclude that, truly, Christmas is a season of joy.
Nobody wants to be the unreformed Ebenezer Scrooge (Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol”) during the Yuletide season. The season is not a humbug. It is a time when rivals find time to settle their differences (whether permanently or temporarily). It’s a time for children of all walks of life to visit and ask for the blessings of their godparents and relatives. It’s a time for children to count and compare how much they earned for the day. It’s a time for family reunions and seeing long lost friends and colleagues. It’s a time to just let off petty mistakes and offenses by saying to yourself “it’s Christmas anyway.”
But above all else, Christmas is the time to commemorate the birth of Jesus, the Son of God who humbly chose to be born in a stable, as if telling everybody not to be proud. (Jun A. Malig writes for Sun.Star Pampanga)
(December 27, 2004 issue)
Write letter to the editor.Click here.
Join the Sun.Star message board.Click here. |
|
[return to top]
[home]
[network page]
|
LOCAL NEWS
BUSINESS
OPINION
SPORTS
LIFESTYLE
FEATURE
SUPERBALITA
WEEKEND
|
