Xmas must present a new opportunity to each of us each year

Dec 25, 2009 Letters

Dear Editor,

Something about Christmastime moves people to compassion and care for the less fortunate especially the children in our midst.

More than any other festival or time in the calendar year, Christmas brings out innate love for those who find this time of year a difficult one to make ends meet or to find themselves in the Christmas spirit. They say that miracles are bound to happen at Christmastime. We hear phrases like, “Tis the season for miracles”, and the like. Sometimes we look too far for that miracle when it is staring us right in the face. Love is that miracle at Christmastime. Love is the result of that first Christmas; the love of God sending His only begotten Son into the world, out of love. Ever since that first Christmas, that love has been spreading through every human being, especially during these times of the year.

Christmas must present a new opportunity to each of us each year. God made the night so that humans can rest from their hard daytime labours and pursuits. Perhaps he created this time of year, too, so that we can take a breather and evaluate our lives, and take a little time to enjoy and relax with friends and family.

Christmas is the ideal time for this. It is celebrated at the end of the year, ideally when we can look back and take stock of ourselves.

Sometimes I, too, get caught up in the worldly revelries associated with Christmastime; I wouldn’t be human if I didn’t. At some point, though, it would strike it: This is why there is a Christmas; this is the real reason for Christmas; I regain consciousness.

We can turn around that element of commercialism, which has grabbed this holiday, and allow it to tell us in retrospect what the true meanings of this time of year is about. Commercialism has taken its toll in almost every religious holiday on our calendar. And who to blame? The very people of that particular religion. But nothing in moderation is bad. The world might be angry, especially us here in Guyana, if there was a law against anyone parading the towns and streets, shopping and frolicking on Christmas Eve. Over the past few years, I’ve been spending that day ‘indoors’ so I have not had a clue if that scene on Christmas Eve has changed, especially in the night. I do know though, that the streets are filled up to very late as I pass through to attend Midnight Mass. They are still filled when Mass is over, way into Christmas morn.

Each year, Midnight Mass takes place earlier and earlier in the evening, I suppose everyone is frightened to be outdoors very late. However, it still takes place near to midnight in Georgetown. People must ask if Christians are crazy! Who worships and goes to church at midnight? My first such late- night worshipping took place back in 2005; a very special night for me. The next year would’ve been a year I changed religion too.

I always preferred staying up late the night before (for Mass) than waking up at 4 o’ clock to prepare to sunrise service on Christmas Day or Easter Sunday. But there are not much ‘Midnight’ worshippers too these days – or nights I should say. Just those to be Baptised or received and their immediate families and a few persons make up numbers on Holy Saturday night; whereas a few which you can count with one hand attend Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve.

You can draw your own conclusions. But maybe people do not realise that it is on these two nights when their faiths meet its climax. The crux of their religion really demonstrates itself on those two evenings. Five o’ clock in the mornings Christmas Novenas has been a long Christmas tradition started by the Portuguese in Guyana and still continues in Catholic churches across this country (even some Anglican too).

Maybe Christmas does not mean what it meant in previous years anymore to people. Maybe the commercialism is getting to some, and even persuading them to reform their practices at Christmastime.

I enjoyed Christmas as a little boy. My pillow-case (not stocking) would be filled to the brim with toys on Christmas morning. I was told it was Santa and I did not care one bit to question the authenticity of the situation; I was too mesmerized by my new toys.

Nowadays, similar situations take place, but they are placed around the Christmas tree. Whoever thought the foot of an evergreen tree (or Christmas tree) would have been the most appropriate place to rest gifts, cards and other Christmas rewards surely had a good reason in mind. Christmas morning breakfast was a must (I hope it still is). If the family never sat down to share a meal or had butter and bread for the past year, Christmas morning saw families sharing meals and savouring pepper-pot and bread, ham and eggs, black cake, among other foods and delicacies associated with the festivities. Cake and ginger beer, and a packed menu of mouth-watering dishes would set the tone for the rest of the day; lavish eating and drinking (hopefully not much alcohol and plenty ginger beer), merriment, watching ‘Stretched-out Magazine’ or ‘Not Necessarily the News’ (or a few years back ‘Bloopers and Scudoopers, Berbice Lampoon), and just lazing around all day, all “to do’s” on Christmas Day….last year it was soaking up a lovely rainy Christmas Day (not lovely for everyone whose yards were flooded).

There has been the sentiment expressed in numerous songs of the season of the possibility of Christmas being every day of the year. Because there is so much love and excitement, joy and laughter, food of course, and goodwill, who wouldn’t want all of this to be present all the days of their lives? Maybe Boxing Day could turn into a second Christmas Day.

As fate would have it once more this year, my mom is back home to spend Christmas with me and my dad — our second ‘real’ family Christmas in a long time. It makes me realise all those Christmases as a family we had together that I took for granted. That the material things of the season do not really matter at all, but just the presence of a loved one — a dear one — that can make a real Guyanese Christmas (touted as the best in the world) a reality. Yes, we Guyanese are lucky indeed to have what many envy us for; what many run home at this time for, where many long to be but time and space would not allow; that real, true Guyanese Christmas, often imitated but never duplicated. A very, Merry (and Christ-centred) ‘Guyanese’ Christmas to one and all!

Leon Jameson Suseran