" So This Is Christmas … "

So this is Christmas
And what have you done?
Another year over
And a new one just begun

And so this is Christmas
I hope you have fun
The near and the dear one
The old and the young ...

And so this is Christmas
For weak and for strong
For rich and the poor ones
The world is so wrong

A very merry Christmas
And a happy New Year
Let's hope it's a good one
Without any fear ...

~ John Lennon ~ So This Is Christmas ~ 

***

So this is Christmas, well soon enough.  Yet I have to admit I am not a huge fan.  Okay I know, I will take a lot of flak for not liking Christmas, but I think I am just misunderstood.  I actually like Christmas ... I just don’t like that it is imaginary, temporary and means little to some ... I just don’t like how distorted it has become.

You see, I fully respect the true spirit of Christmas, the birth of Jesus Christ.  It’s just all the fake stuff that tags along I could do without.  After the evening of the 25th, it’s over.  We then get to look forward to the next holiday all while boxing up decorations and waiting in the dreaded return lines.  I guess the real reason is that once Christmas is over, you realize that nothing has changed.  Christmas changed nothing ... you are still you, your context is still your context and whatever thorn in your side is still there!

Plus over the years I’ve run out of good gift ideas, gotten fed up with the shopping mall feeding frenzy and just been upset at all the ungrateful people … 

So maybe Christmas can change things because it has meaning ... for everyone, not just Christians.  Christmas is a “birth-day” and a life worth remembering because He undeniably lived and affected an infinite number of lives.

The great irony and paradox of Christmas, of learning to live compassionately … we don’t give to the poor; they give to us.

So maybe amid the bustle and hustle, we can rekindle the real spirit of the season by ...

Keep a candle burning ~ The constantly burning flame, holding back the darkness, is a potent symbol of life in the heart of winter. 

Support a worthy cause ~ Make a donation in someones name to an organization you know they'd like to support.

Write a letter to your past ~ Now is the ideal time to write a note to someone you wished you’d thanked for a kindness you’ve remembered

Give a gift that's really needed ~ Often we buy people presents just for the sake of buying them something but the idea is to match the service with the person's need. 

Plant a real Christmas tree ~ A lovely way to remember this Christmas, this could also make a great last-minute gift for a nature-loving friend. 

Eat by tree light ~ After the tree is decorated, have a meal around it. Turn off all the lights except for those on the tree, and admire its beauty.

Keep Christmas Eve simple ~ Instead of slaving to prepare a fantastic spread on Christmas Eve as well as Christmas Day, suggest a simple meal ... that way, you'll have more time to relax and enjoy each other's company.