Time flies. It’s Christmas again!
14 12 2007
Yes, it’s true. Time flies and here we are again surrounded by all the usual paraphernalia of Xmas. We see it in the streets, in our homes, on television and, specially, we see it in shopping centres. But, where are the true values of Xmas? Or better still, have these values ever existed? Some will say that Xmas is the period of the year when you see your family, a time when you share feelings… and, of course, a time when you exchange presents! But, I see my family whenever I want and I don’t usually hide my feelings. So there’s only one thing left: Presents! As a result, I’ve turned into what could be called “a Xmas sceptic”. I want to get the Xmas feeling back. And I want you to help me. Tell me what you like about Xmas and what makes it a special time for you… Because you have the Xmas feeling, don’t you?
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I don’t have a Xmas feeling either. I loved Xmas when I was a child and I used to spend Xmas with my small family and I waxed euphoric about the Three Kings bringing me lots of presents. But now my family is smaller than ever before and, obviously, I don’t believe in the Three Kings any more, so this Xmas won’t be very special for me. But, on the other hand, there is one thing that makes me feel overjoyed. As I am not living with my family, the idea of spending two weeks at my parents’ house, with my sister around me, takes the Xmas feeling back to me. To my mind, I think that the important thing about Xmas is being with the people that make you feel confortable, so if you can do that during all the year, you don’t need Xmas feeling.
Why is Xmas still one of the most valuable periods of time? You may think it’s because of the presents, but you are seeing it in the wrong way. First of all, don’t you like seeing all your family together having a huge dinner and laughing and singing? I think that’s marvellous. And what about the Xmas vibe? It’s wonderful seeing the decorations all over the streets, though you know Gabino loves putting thousands of lighs everywhere he can and you can listen to music while you are having a walk, but, don’t you like that? Don’t you like that feeling? And, as you say, It’s true that there are lots of families that think presents are the only thing that makes Xmas time diferent from other periods, and getting presents from others can sometimes make people feeling awkward. However, what about the smile which appears on your son’s face, or maybe your father’s face, anybody. That sensation is so comforting, it is so pleasant. That is one of the most important events in Xmas, when you get a smile for a present. It’s a really short period of time . A time when you should enjoy, have fun, eat whatever you want to ( it is allowed and justified to put on weight if it’s because of Xmas, don’t worry), buy all the presents you want to and get the smiles you want to, it’s up to you enjoying Xmas time or not.
Xmas is a time when we’re supposed to be honest and to have good feelings towards other people but, do we have to be good persons only at Xmas?
A consequence of globalization could be the consumerism in which we live these days, although we do not agree with this, what can we do?.
Xmas has turned into shopping time. Family and good feelings aren’t as important as several years ago because presents are now in the first place.
As we can see, nowadays the essence of Xmas has been lost and we have to try to recover it, making the most of each moment we spend with our family and friends.
People are crass and thoughtless most of the time, but at Xmas they make up themselves and come across as kind and pleasant persons.
To sum up, Xmas itself is in ourselves. Trying to share it!
HAPPY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!!
As the good Christian that I´m trying to be (and I hope that after my statement you´ll keep on reading) I think that Christmas is inside our minds, as God is. Remember: God is everywhere. You only need one thing: believe in that issue, and the rest would be given. If you can only see “Presents” in these days, you could be affected in your soul by a disease called “Capitalism”.
But don´t get desperate, the cure is inside you too. You could try searching for something different studying any philosopher talking about soul, for instance St. Thomas Aquinas´five ways, or any other similar to it.
Please don´t think of me as a religious fundamentalist, I´m just a “thinker”, as you´re. Nevertheless, if you´re posing this question you´re not far away from the right way.
Keep on trying and you´ll find your own way of feeling not just Christmas but many other things hidden inside your mind (or soul if you´re a believer).
At this precise moment you could think that I´m absolutely happy, but… not at all, I´m on the way to. I remember myself: “happiness is on the route”, and I try to enjoy every moment in my life as fiery as I can. And I think to myself: it should be enough.
To sum up, you should look inside your mind and search your own way, but don´t desperate, ít´s for sure deep inside you.
Yes, of course I have the christmas feeling, but mainly because I have children at home. They are the ones who make me go on keeping it, otherwise I suppose I would have already lost it.
I agree with you in the point that I see my family very often, sometimes even more than I would like to and we usually share feelings and matters.
So, the only thing left is presents and huge meals which seem endless.
These two things make us spend a lot of money in buying mountains of presents to everybody and food which gets very expensive these days.
To all this, I must add the time we spend in shoppings centres trying to find
any present, in many cases, at any price; and the time we also spend cooking sophisticated meals which later are so quickly eaten and unluckily not always appreciated by everybody.
Summing up Christmas days cause me STRESS and I would need a spare week to relax.
Hello to everybody!!
Yeeees!! Xmas time is here again…MERRY CHRISTMAS!! I hope you all enjoy these magic days and get many presents!! Here in Spain it is also when the families get together to eat, filling ourselves with a lot of seafood and nougat candy. In my family, everybody except me loves these kind of Xmas candies. When they are eating the dessert they always look at me like as if I was a weird person…it is imposible for them to understand that I do not like these candies! My father year in, year out says: “oh! I am sure you don’t try nougat candy because you don’t want to put on weight”…but it is not, it is just that I find it too sweet.
To be honest, I am not a Xmas fan, so I am sorry for my techer but I can not bring the Xmas feeling back to her. However, I can tell you that I find this time as a good excuse to meet my friends and family and have fun with them. Though these are also days when the people I have lost come to my mind, that’s the saddest side. But won’t start feeling melancholic, otherwise I will make you all burst into tears and it is not what I want!
Besides that, the date that I most like is New Year’s Eve. This day I normally go out in the village where I grew up with all my friends from there. It is a very different date, even when I go out with the same people as I do the rest of the year, but it is funny to go to the bars all dressed up.
Well, this is my personal view of this coming season. I hope all of you, even if you have not found your Xmas feelings yet, contribute to make this time as a very special time for those who are around you!
With all my best wishes for the New Year,
Sonia
What I like most about Xmas is the atmosphere!
I also see my family whenever I want and that isn´t a problem to hide my feelings in these days…
It´s holiday time and you can enjoy the Xmas decorations, the sweet lights and Xmas carols in the streets… And ,of course, it’s time to see all your friends and family..
The family meals on Christmas and New Year’s Eve have become a wonderful tradition with the same food and the same people sitting at the table. Maybe this can be boring to someone but it makes me feel overjoyed.
We shouldn’t lose our values and Xmas feelings or they will disappear and Xmas would become a period of the year to expend your time in shopping centres, buying more and more presents.
When I was a child I had the Xmas feeling, as all the children, but at while I’ve been growing up, I have been losing a bit of that feeling…Last year I was in hospital at Xmas time so this year I have decided I will enjoy Xmas and all the things that Xmas involve: I’m going to decorate my house, I’m going to see the Nativity scene which is in the Cathedral square…
We should enjoy each minute of our lives, and…specially at Xmas, when it is assumed that people become more friendly, more generous…
But on the other hand, and apart from my personal experience I think the vision of Xmas has changed. Although families still enjoy some meals together, the feeling of Xmas is different from some years ago. In the past the essence of Xmas was being with your family, being more affectionate…but at present consumerism has turned us into people who only think of buying presents (the more expensive, the better), reciving them (of course), having the best outfit for New Year’s Eve…and the thing that surprises me the most is that nowadays some pubs open on Xmas Eve, something that a few years ago was unthinkable.
In my opinion the actual vision of Xmas should be changed, but there is something that it hasn’t changed, and it is the real spirit of Xmas…the smile of a child when he see his presents next to the Xmas tree. I think none of us have words to describe this marvellous feeling.
MeRrY ChRiStMaS¡¡
Personally, I don’t like Xmas time at all.
There are several reasons why I don’t have a Xmas feeling. Firstly, I always get a stomachachefrom eating so much food and sweet puddings.
Secondly, when I was a child I received presents but now I have to buy presents for all the members of my family so I spend every year on unnecessary things a lot of money .
Finally, I agree with the idea that the Xmas days cause stress. I would like to do like some people do and go to the Caribbean to stay for Xmas time with a “mojito” in myhand
One, two three…Xmas time again. Here there are: lights, music, typical food, Santa Claus climbing walls and TV banging on with all those advertisements about perfumes, toys and happiness. Once more western society seems to be forcing you to be happy from the middle of December to the first week of January. One interesting point about Xmas time is that some people don’t have any problem becoming happy, while others feel the warrior that most of us have inside wake up and they wonder: Why should I become happy when I’m ordered. What has all this stuff got to do with me?.
My advice is: first, remove commercial purposes from Xmas time; then notice that being happy is your decision. You can be happy whenever and wherever you want, no matter what society says.
Forget old and bad habits, don’t wait until someone tells you to be happy; be happy because you feel like it and don’t wait until other people with very dubious reasons tell you to. Avoid starting a foolish race of consumerism; be happy with yourself, even if Xmas time has arrived.
Best Regards and merry Xmas.
Manuel
It’s true that the countdown for Xmas has already started…..Incredible but true ¡¡¡¡In fact, some weeks ago I was staring at a pamphlet of the supermarket when I realized that I was absolutely surrounded by a huge variety of Xmas sweets but… Where are the typical Xmas desserts? I thought that I was raving mad because instead of being looking for them in a supermarket, it looks as if I was looking at the pamphlet of a pastry shop where any dessert had the surname “Xmas”.
I didn’t want to realize the evidence but it was impossible…. Shortly afterwards, a group of my sister’s friends were trying to sell me Xmas lottery but as if that wasn’t enough, the last straw was the arrival of toy’s advertisements on TV. At least, at that moment I thought that I could jump of joy because there weren’t any Xmas decorations yet but, when I could react, I was listening on the radio the next budget that the city council would assign for the next holidays…Incredible¡¡ It was only October but… Don’t worry¡¡¡ From now on, everything will happen very quickly: people will sweat blood to buy all the presents and will spare no expense so…Ready, steady, go¡¡¡ Xmas’ madness has already started¡¡¡¡ so if there is someone who is still tired of this holiday… don’t throw in the towel but…Good lucky¡¡¡¡
It is widely known that the original purpose of Xmas time has been forgotten. That fact doesn’t let me down at all. The main reason why I am always looking forward to having Xmas holidays is that my dad and my two elder brothers have some weeks off. That is why, had it not been for this controversial time of the year, I couln’t see my whole family together more than twice a year.
Another point to consider could be the gifts. We –the Spanish people- aren’t into giving presents but in some ocassions. And due to the fact that all of us like being given anything, we wait with impatience for the Xmas gift exchange. We expect to be given loads of huge and wonderful presents. Maybe shops take advantage of this fact but that is a matter we will have to bear.
Changing the subject: The blog is fantastic and it grips you. I am not buttering you up but this compliment may make my marks raise.
Whether you like it or not Xmas has arrived , or at least the shopping season associated with it has arrived.
When I was a child,not so long ago,Xmas in my house was very different from now.We had a big tree with lots of decorations.We knew that these days we had to behave very well,because the three kings were watching us. My broher and me looked foward to the day in which under that tree there would be all the toys we had written down in our letter.In the school we used to make perfomances,sing carols…
Now,I have grown up and I think that Xmas feeling is only for children. In our society xmas only makes people spend money. It is the same as the mother or father ’s day. Do you need a stupid reason like this to make a present or to say someone how much you love him or her?, I don´t think so. We should talk about the businness of xmas not about the feeling of xmas.
When xmas arrives I feel nostalgic about the past periods when we were with members of my family ,that today aren’t with us.
That´s the reason why I don’t believe in the feelings of xmas and I don’t like this period of time.
As you say, there are some reasons we to dislike Christmas time and, unfortunately, you don’t see things as when you were a child. However, I don’t know if I’m still too young to detest these dates but I admit to keep getting excited when lights begin to shine and you can hear Xmas carols in the streets. Perhaps you can say I’m a dreamer but, although buying so many presents and spending so much money these days is clearly an act of consumerism, in my opinion the intentions and whishes those presents hide are what we must take into account. At least for me, the ilusion which you buy a present to a close person with and his face when he’s opening it, is indescriptable.
Even so, I agree with you that people nowadays don’t know how to get their feelings across and they try to say the same in a different way (the more they buy the more they love that person) but, actually, it isn’t the same at all.
Therefore, in conclusion, I believe that everyone should bring out the child all we have inside and enjoy these traditional parties with the people they love but without forgetting that these days aren’t the only ones in which we have to be kind and say to our family and friends how important they are for us.
Happy Xmas for everyone!
I really try to keep the Christmas spirit,although it is not easy.
I like not only gifts,decorating trees and carols but also family meetings and good desires. I enjoy everything.
It is said that most people are just playing a social game during Christmas time with false smiles and hypocritical feelings, looking forward to its end.
Maybe that is true.
However, I am of those who think sometimes it is better a little than nothing, so if there is an excuse called Christmas which shakes our conscience and allows us to worry for something rather than ourselves ,that will be worth although it lasts just few days.
Merry Christmas and happy new year.
Begoña