Christmas. Tree. Cake. Pudding. Presents. Cookies. Pageants. Turkey. Carols. Lights. Cards. Dinner. Crackers. Lollies. Decorations. Father. Merry. White. Public holiday. Family. Friends. Tinsel. Reindeer. Traditions. Hats.
Apart from being a Christian and believing that what we celebrate at Christmas is actually the birth of Jesus, who is God and who has saved me, one could be forgiven I think for wondering what it's all for. We are so used to it, so surrounded by it, that we don't question why we do it. What is the turkey for really? Could we have Christmas without presents? Without a tree? Without carols? Would it still be Christmas?
From the time I have been working and earning my own money I have bought Christmas presents for friends and family every year. I have bought stupid novelty toys for Secret Santas. I have bought Candy Canes to give out to youth at church or kids at school. I have bought expensive things and cheap crap. I have baked, sewed and painted presents. Because I have felt compelled to give someone something. I have always refused to do the Christmas Card thing, not through any sense of being friendly towards trees, mostly because I don't see the point (and that I'm terribly lazy). But to all other Christmas pressure I have bowed.
I understand that we like giving and receiving presents, I understand that we love to have our beautifully decorated tree, I understand that we love ham and turkey, pudding and custard (or that if we don't, we should supply it for our guests so that they will know it's Christmas), I understand that we need carols to make it feel like Christmas, I understand that without these things it's not quite right. I get it. I really do.
But what if we had none of these things?
Or worse still, had none of these things and looked longingly at the small portion of the world that does, thinking that if we only had the money that they had we would be so happy because we too could eat turkey, give presents, sing carols, decorate trees…
For those that have, in reality, how many would be willing to give it all up? For all our thoughts of shopping at Oxfam, or buying a gift card that gives someone in another country a goat, I would guess that we couldn't bring ourselves to give it all up. For one thing, it would be really inconvenient. Our culture is so steeped in 'Christmas' traditions that it is almost impossible to escape them. And for another it's our right to do what we like with what we earn. And what kind of Scrooge would we be if we didn't celebrate Christmas in the traditional way?
This is something that I am wondering this year. After all, being in a country where survival is hard, and Christmas doesn't mean putting starting the next year with a credit card debt (one, because here not so many gifts are given, and two, because not so many people have credit cards), gives a fairly different perspective of what it's all for. And yet even here I am surprised. Those that can afford, do. People talk of trees, I have already heard various carols being played in shops and apparently crime rises around this time because thieves know that people are buying gifts.
Being here raises so many questions for me. Not just about Christmas, but about the way we live carelessly, as if the world revolves around us and our needs. As the years pass I become more and more uncomfortable with all that the 'celebration' of Christmas is. And when I see the same traditions being embraced here it makes my skin crawl a little. Why does our western culture, so much of which is fake, surface, commercial, have to appeal? I guess I don't really expect to know the answer, and I also don’t expect that these things will change to make me more comfortable. I guess my only way forward is to live by my convictions and wage my own personal war against our consumerist, materialistic, cultural celebration and remind myself what it is I believe, why I celebrate and what I can do to make a difference in the world.
And yes, despite my rant, I will probably miss turkey, Christmas pudding, my family, friends and the Santa Sack my mum still makes for us even though we have all moved out. Oh and Jenny S's Christmas Cookies, will definitely miss those.
And because we are suckers for tradition and Christmas is a really good time to do something for someone else we have HOPE gift cards for sale. Check out the website to order some and send some good cheer to Uganda and DR Congo.
Or you could buy one of these!
Be blessed
bron
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