Tuesday, December 11, 2007 Ledesma: Christmas By Jun Ledesma Sunbursts
LIKE toys Christmas has evolved. My kids think that I am making up sad stories when I relate to them how we celebrate Christmas when we were in grade school.
In those days, I said, Christmas carols were sang in the tempo of Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby. Among the popular selections were "Silent Night, Holy Night," "Joy to the World," "Hark the Herald," "Oh Come all Ye Faithful," and "Oh Little Town of Bethlehem," among many others.
These days, you hear less of those beautiful classics. The churches do not even sing these songs anymore. The kids cannot relate to the slow and melodious rendition of carols from my generation as they are hooked to rock and rap of their own. There's a great cultural and spiritual divide.
In a small town where I grew up Christmas season was always awaited with excitement. Even before the "cold wintry wind" in December, homes are decorated with Japanese crepe paper. In school, our vocational teacher taught us how to make Christmas lanterns using bamboo and colored paper.
Christmas trees are from cut tree tops embellished with crepe paper and cigarette foil. These days, homes are decorated with ready-made stuffs imported from China. Christmas balls and lights too are from China.
My wife and I bought a whole set of Christmas Village and a nativity set in a Cosco outlet in Modesto California. From our trip to Texas later we brought home two more sets of the latest edition of the miniature Christmas village as gifts to the mother and sister-in-law. All came from the land of Mao where Christianity was frowned upon. Decades ago we used cogon for nativity scenes.
Nowadays, Christmas parties among kids are celebrated with the same glee and spirit. Moreover materialism seems to get the better of the spirit of gift giving and the celebration. We too had our exchange gifts just like the manito and manita of today. These days the amount of the gift is pegged at no less than...
In my time, probably we were so rural, we kids exchange crispy biscuits and matsakao gently wrapped in Christmas paper. Sometime when the harvest or the "hinagdawan" is good, we give handkerchiefs or a pair of socks to friends sometimes forgetting that the recipients do not even have shoes.
Despite the simple packets of gifts we genuinely appreciate the thought of being counted as among somebody's friends. Our parties are never short of food to eat. You know kamote (sweet potatoes), kamoteng kahoy (cassava), biko, suman, valenciana, litsong manok, etcetera, etcetera. Everything lutong bahay. Contribution ni Nanay.
For as long as we sing Christmas songs among ourselves we are exceedingly happy. There were no karaoke, no dvd, no mp3, no ipod, no gameboy or ps3 to toy with. We just sing ourselves to thrill, never mind if the voices are discordant.
When the party is over, we walk our way home, barefoot or with hand-me-down Marcelo or Elpo tennis shoes. Nobody minds. We thump and jump nibbling our crispy biscuits or matsakaw.
Nighttime, we are serenaded by carolers. Because papa is generous to carolers, (P10 was worth my 3 months baon) they would regale us with zarzuela not so much part of Christmas story but I thought then they were performed during special occasions. And ours was special.
These days, you get serenaded in the midst of heavy traffic. The carolers don't sing; they knock on your car windows with tin cans. They have no music instruments although at times they tuck on their waists newly born babes to prick your conscience.
How times changed indeed. Look at City Hall and Rizal Park. I know that Mayor Rodrigo Duterte and in all probability Vice Mayor Inday Sara and the new boss lady at the city tourism office have endeavored a lot to make the ambience at City Hall feel more like Christmas.
I brought my two little kids there last night to appreciate the night spectacle at city hall. My little Paolo said how sad it is that ambulant vendors of all kinds have misappropriated the park all for themselves. I agree that we should give these vendors the chance to earn more this Christmas, but that should not give them the license to abuse the Mayor's kindness.
If City Hall does not have the heart to drive them away or allow them to vend in a more orderly fashion and let them stay at the park anyway, I suggest that we should now open the Davao Heritage Park in what was once the PTA ground. There, the children can have the serenity and orderliness of the place and share the true spirit of Christmas.
Evoking the Christmas of yesteryears, I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year!!
