MERRY CHRISTMAS

(the following are but my own humble opinion, I may be wrong)

What does this day mean to you?

In my own opinion and going in terms of descending number of people:

Public Holiday
Post-party
Party
Spending time with family and friends
Exchanging presents
Fun
Year End break
Love
Love of God
Reflection of the year’s events and getting right with God

It is the one of the few public holidays that almost everyone celebrates (after New Year I guess). Not everyone celebrates Deepavali or Chinese New Year.

What comes to your mind straightaway when I mention Christmas? It actually reflects what is in your heart. Shall elaborate on this awhile later…

Jesus
Cross
Church
Christmas tree
Santa
Snow
Presents
Party
Red, Green
Fun, Laughter
Love, Joy, Peace
Booze, Fights, Drunkenness, Smoke

Walked down Orchard Road (my usual habit) the other day and took photos of the brightly lit roads and buildings. Saw many performances and took lots of videos. Yet, as I was walking down, past countless people, amid all the holiday mood, I felt less of the holiday mood than previous years. Well, you could say its cos of the final exams. That could be a contributing factor, but there’s something inside me that felt the emptiness in the air, the facades behind the faces of people… Loom and gloom of the current financial climate? Could be, but yet there is more.

Walked down and was shoved, pushed and squeezed. Was reminded of how I spent Christmas few years ago, when I was still in my college days. That was worse. Walked down Orchard road to join in the countdown party – all the sweat, the foam sprays, the sprays that will spray out coloured streamers etc etc waiting for the so called count down and walking in a formation through the crowd that would prevent the ladies from being groped. At the end of it, coloured streamers everywhere, drunkards, beer bottles, anger and frustration on the faces of people who did not liked being sprayed at and intending to take revenge, fights, litter… etc… all along Orchard Road. Didn’t like it at all. Is this your idea of Christmas???

To me this day is a day of love, joy and peace. Not ugliness of Man. Full of holiness and purity. Not happiness at the expense of others.

As I walked down, I saw the big picture. If you were looking from atop, don’t we simply resemble a colony of ants surrounding a piece of sweet? Even the ants do not fight themselves, do not push and shove others, do not get angry or take revenge. They live – only to contribute to their entire race. So are we worse than ants? And what would God think? Would He be happy that we’re in such a state or would He be crying everyday, every Christmas, lamenting at our behaviour.

As I mentioned earlier, the small things – little thoughts, little actions – all reflect who or how you are. No point looking at the big things. Doesn’t tell much… But then again, different people have different values and so this probably doesn’t bother anyone else. My point being, do we spend time to reflect upon ourselves?

As we celebrate Christmas, do we know the true meaning of Christmas. Sometimes, I am saddened, saddened by the little things. This holiday to me is symbolic of the greatest gift God has given to mankind. The greatest present. So the way we treat this day, our attitude towards it, really saddens me sometimes.

Many of us, conveniently or refuse to acknowledge Christ when we celebrate on this day. Worse is when its all about getting drunk and fighting. Merry CHRISTmas has turned to Merry X mas. Christ is replaced by a mere X on this day. the focus is on the Merry and the X. “X” meaning you can do whatever you want, as long it makes you merry. IS THIS THE TRUE MEANING OF CHRISTMAS? So it has become a mathematical equation. X = eating shopping enjoyment fighting etc, MINUS Christ.

Everyone has their own meaning of Christmas. The above is mine. What is yours? I really hope its not all about fights, anger and frustration… How are you feeling this Christmas? I hope its not all emptiness and gloom. I hope that everyone has a joyful, peaceful, lovely Christmas.