on the 12th day of christmas
christmas is rushing by me, and i’m desperately looking for the button to make it all slow down. every way i look, shops are fascinating with their merry decors, people are toting bags laden with christmas goodies, windows are aglow with thousands of glittering lights and trimmings. am caught up in all of it, and yet, if i could make everything pause, i would. savor the rituals and the symbols and not be a passive participant to all of it. what’s the tree for? and what’s the 12 days of christmas all about? the tinsel, santa claus and gift-exchange?
something tells me that i’m not getting it. it’s not in the gifts, it’s not in the glühwein, not even the advent wreath that adorns our dinner table. for the past years, all christmas means to me is taking a breather from the hustle and bustle of the daily grind, and spending a whole week–from christmas eve til new year– just spending time with the family. at a time and place where people see less and less of their loved ones, i’ve come to appreciate this last week of the year the most, exactly just for this reason. no deadlines to think of, no chore that’s more important than simply being with the family, even if each has his nose buried in his own book. this year, though, am almost dreading the week following christmas. i hope my premonition turns out wrong, but i doubt i’d be able to read more than a couple of pages, if at all.
how about you? no, spare me that spiel about christmas being about the saviour’s birth. there’s nothing about the birth of Christ in christmas trees, cookies and overcharged credit cards. if you’re to be honest, what does christmas really mean to you, personally?
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random find: got extra funds? how does precious metals trading sound like? if i had that kind of money, i think i’d rather be called an “angel”, though.
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7 Responses to “on the 12th day of christmas”
December 13th, 2005 at
Even though I normally end up working over Xmas, christmas is about quality time with my wife and daughter.
The commercialism and religion for me is just a bunch of bollocks.
You said to be honest!
December 13th, 2005 at
gastos! gastos! at gastos pa ulit! if the birth of christ is the simple reason for this celebration, then surely there’s no reason to dread it. but honestly, because xmas always means having to break our naghihingalo piggy bank, i sometimes do.
December 14th, 2005 at
for me, it means seeing the JOY and delight on my child’s eyes everytime she looks at our christmas tree, seeing the THRILL on my family’s faces when they open their gifts, feeling the LOVE of my family gathered together and having PEACE in my heart knowing that inspite of all the bad stuff that is happening in our world, there is always HOPE that things will go well as long as we BELIEVE.
December 14th, 2005 at
honestly, for me, it’s the food.
December 15th, 2005 at
for me, it’s a time to rest, catch up with family and eat till you pop!
December 15th, 2005 at
gastos!
but more than that, it’s sharing the season with family and friends. last christmas was the bleakest ever (not considering the christmas my dad died), thailand being a buddhist country. so i’m really looking forward to going home!
December 15th, 2005 at
Christmas, what is that? In this part of the world where I work, there is no Christmas. The sad part is, this day is a normal working day.
What is Christmas? Christmas is for Kids, Spirit of Christmas is for the adult.
Anyway, Merry CHristmas.