A FEW more days to go and it’s Christmas day.
Oh what fun it was to ride around the year, meeting all kinds of joys and troubles. There is fun in trouble because once you conquer it, you feel triumphant and happy. We dashed through the snowhill of tasks on a one-horse carriage, laughing often and sometimes crying all the way to the end of the year. And here we are.
Like most people, my family doesn’t travel out of Cebu to spend Christmas in a special way. How wonderful it would be to spend a white Christmas in windy Chicago or go shopping in Hong Kong. It’s fine if you have the budget, but if not, then be like us. You can still have a special Christmas.
For most of us, it’s a “stay-cation” (stay home during vacation) and making the most of what we have that makes Christmas more personal. After all, Christmas is about Christ who, as we’ve been taught in church, is our “personal Savior.”
This year my family decided to make each day special by holding different activities. I have created a special schedule for you, or maybe for you to improve. Maybe the last stage would be the midnight meal.
Now, here are some of my suggesttions on how to make it Christmas every day this year.
Have a movie marathon. Watch action movies or movies of your choice at home in the afternoon. Buy the family’s favorite junk food and dump the stuff into the biggest bowl you can find. Mix up the chips and nuts, and have everyone dig in.
Go ‘parking.’ It’s fun going to theme parks around the city at this time. End the day at the family’s favorite grill or maybe you can try out one restaurant that everybody has been talking about.
Take a trip in time. Make Day 3 a museum day. Some of the names I can think of are Museo Sugbo, Casa Gorordo Museum, San Carlos Museum, Cathedral Museum, Aznar-Alfonso Antique Collection, Rizal Memorial Library and Museum, Southwestern University Museum and CAP Arts Center.
Don’t be a stranger in your city. Day 4 could be spent visiting the rest of the museums on your list. But if you’re done with the museum tour, it’s time to revisit tourist spots within the city: Basilica del Santo Niño, Taoist Temple, Fort San Pedro, Tops Lookout and so on.
Life is a picnic. Drive to the nearest beach for a half-day refresher. Bring along your lunch and drinks, and have a picnic. Enjoy the sky, the sand, the sea breeze and just sit around just talking; then pack up. It’s cheap and you don’t have to take a dip.
Charity beyond the home. Since the center of Christmas is Christ who gave himself to man, maybe you can think of giving also by wrapping gifts for some non-government organizations. Recruit everyone in the house, especially younger children, to take part in this charitable project so they grow up not only thinking of themselves at this time of the year.
A 10-kilo sack of rice is only P500. So, if your budget for gifts to the family is P5,000, tell everyone that this year, all of you will waive their “right” to have gifts.
Stretch those muscles. On Day 7, pile the whole family into the trunk, I mean, truck or car, and head to Ayala Center Cebu not to go shopping but to do some stretching, jogging and running. Quench your thirst and hunger at one of the mall’s diners or restaurants.
I still have eight tips to share but I’m at the bottom of my column. Till next time.