Yeah...... it's Christmas 2009. A call for celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ our Lord. All Christian nations celebrate it as a commemoration of the Lord's coming to earth as a little baby who was born in a hapless manger in Bethlehem. He forsake his royal status in heaven just to be with mankind.
And we are all celebrating His birthday every year by giving gifts and sharing graces with our family, friends, and love ones. It is also a time to change our bad ways into good ways by doing something good to our fellows. A time to forgive and forget so that we will be harmonious in everything we do and attain peace internally as well as globally.
I just can't think of anything else but my family way back in the Philippines as I live alone here in the United States celebrating Christmas on my own. I can still remember my happy memories way back home during Christmastime.
The celebration of "Misa de Aguinaldo" every day starting on the 16th of December which always fall nine days before Christmas was my fondest memory. It was a tradition I always cherished which is not being celebrated here in the States. How I wish I could be home and feel the true essence of the tradition of my heritage.
I know when September strikes people started to prepare and make lists on what to expect for the coming Christmas. Some malls were already adorned with Christmas spirits everywhere. Even the radio stations starts playing Christmas songs on air. You can even hear them blaring on air in some of the transportation vehicles, houses, and inside the mall. Every where is bursting with the early spirit of Christmas.
Unlike here in the States, Christmas doesn't start after we celebrate Thanksgiving Day. By the time Black Friday starts people will crowd out the malls and look for bargains and sale in preparation of the early Christmas shopping. Few days after Thanksgiving people lined up some of the high end malls for the erection and lighting of the traditional Christmas tree heralding that the occasion starts during that time.
Then Christmas songs couldn't be heard from the radios not until the first day of December starts. And after that no regular songs were being played but only Christmas songs and carols can be heard all over the air until the month ends. Then the usual will resume after that.
The difference though of Christmas here is that presents and gifts were so abundant because all the stuffs are cheaper and we can have our choice of a lot of items and goodies. I mean the luxury here is much better of compared from back home. Even the food you can see on the table is more high-ends or expensive compared to the traditional food way back home.
But despite how much we spend in maintaining our needs for the holidays still the spirit is always the same. The essence of giving and receiving is there reverberating on the air and the goal of maintaining and attaining peace, unity, and love is always there. Although each culture has its own different means of celebrating Christmas still Christmas is universally celebrated.
As we celebrate Christmas each year we always see to it that we are thankful of the bountiful gifts and presents we got. Greeting each other peacefully and harmoniously can be the usual scene and that we always strive hard to uphold to the expectations of our own traditions and culture.
Christmas is always the time to give what we have in excess to all those people who really need our help and during this time it always made us consider our shortcomings and inadequacies because it is always the time to contemplate and prepare for what to expect for the oncoming year. We also start formulating our own individual resolutions to carry on for the coming year.
This day always had gave us the chance to change for the better and the better couldn't be achieved well if we are not yet ready for that change. Although we always focus on our own individual busy schedules at home and at work Christmas always had brought each and every one of us closer because gatherings like this always kept us more intact and solid to each other.
In as much, as we always neglect to see the benefits of the celebration to us and to others, we always take into consideration that the children are always happy and satisfied during this season, because Christmas is always a time for the kids. Looking at those little cute smiling faces when they received their presents and gifts is enormously uplifting to watch.
Christmas is the time for children to believe in a make believe that Santa Claus had left the North Pole and visit all those children who behaved and trying to behave to give them their wishes listed on their wish lists. It is the time to encouraged kids to be good and do good to others because once they get naughty and not nice Santa Claus won't come by and give them their wishes and presents. This creates a structural imagination for the children to do good and commemorate the true meaning and essence of Christmas.
While children swoon dreamily for the coming of Santa Claus, adult and elderly people were busy saving their time, effort, and money to act like Santa Claus and fulfilling what these kids were asking for from their imaginary Santa Claus.
Thus with these actions by the adults, children really believed that Santa Claus is for real. Although, bribing children to behave and do good to their fellows is easy for the adults to do, or else the children could not get what they wish for during Christmastime.
Over here in the States, this kind of tradition is always being practiced rigidly. And children always do their best to fulfill what they were expected to do so that their Christmas will be full of presents and love. Oh...... how I wish to be a kid again.
So on this Christmas, I hope that the world will be in harmony. I hope violence will be lessened to a minimum although it can't be eradicated but at least peace will be given a chance even just during this season for Christmas is always a time of peace and harmony for every one, no matter what race, culture, and belief you have.
Christmas always had inspired me to volunteer a lot for it is through volunteering that I always find satisfaction in my life especially in helping my fellows uplift their self-esteem and become more determined to feel the true essence and meaning of Christmas...... that they were not being leftout there to be unhappy and sad despite of their unfortunate situations and circumstances.
Wherever you are...... whatever you do....... whatever your status is....... we all celebrate Christmas with the same meaning and purpose. The act of giving, receiving, forgiving, forgetting ones inadequacies, maintaining peace, upholding harmony, and making children happy is always the spirit we bring and aim hardly as we celebrate Christmas across the miles.
And always don't forget that the Father Almighty had given us His unconditional love for us by sending His beloved Son Jesus Christ to redeem us from our own inherited sin from Adam and Eve. And because of this we don't want to make and render God's effort futile in reuniting us with Him. We always have to lift up to His expectations in that the true meaning of Christmas will be felt every where.
Merry Christmas to all of you and may you have a Prosperous and Promising New Year as well! Hope you have a good one................
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