We just celebrated Christmas. The festival always has a vintage vibe to it! The charm of December is enhanced with a holiday season around the corner. It’s a wonderful time of the year, when huge Xmas trees, decorated with lights and ornaments, sparkles in every home, sprinkling good cheer, and spreading warm, fuzzy feelings.
The spirit of Christmas has always been about giving each other the precious gifts of hope, understanding, help, and goodwill. ‘Gifts of time and love are surely the basic ingredients of a truly merry Christmas,’ rightly said, Peg Bracken.
Netflix and Prime are filled with feel-good movies like ‘A boy called Christmas’ and ’48 Christmas Wishes’. The concept of a tangible Santa Claus that rewards your hard work with presents is a magical thought. Every kid and some childlike adults kindle this hope in the little hearth of their hearts.
Please tell me the truth
“Yes, Virginia … There is a Santa Clause” is a line that went viral long before the word ‘Viral’ was used for news that spread rapidly! It was written to an eight-year-old Virginia O’Hanlon in a newspaper editorial in 1897 by Francis Pharcellus Church in reply to a letter to the editor with a question, “Please tell me the truth; is there a Santa Claus? This editorial has since become one of the most reprinted newspaper editorials in history, appearing in part or in whole in dozens of languages in books, movies, and other editorials, and on posters and stamps.
The gift of goodwill and trust.
All this takes me back to the days of yore. Back in school, we had this ‘Secret Santa’ tradition. I always wanted my special friend to be my Santa Claus. But as luck would have it, my secret gift-giver would be someone I didn’t know much. As kids, we had many wishes which looked alluring and unattainable in our tiny worlds- exotic fruit-scented erasers, glitter pens, bendy rainbow-coloured pencils, unicorn pouches, tiny figurines, reindeer or bunny-shaped white chocolates, and coloured candies. Gift choices and yearnings were simple in olden times.
I have seen adults playing the same game. I chuckle at the effort required to materialistically match a grown-up’s gift expectation.
I always wonder what an ideal gift would be for an adult. If you were granted one wish, what would you actually wish for?
Happy homes to return to
At a very personal level, I wish all adults would have happy homes to return to. There is magic as we see a warm yellow glowing window of a home with a decorated Xmas tree peeping through the blinds. Every festival invariably celebrates the spirit of coming together with family and friends and enjoying hot meals with loved ones in a place they hold dear.
Scientific studies have shown that when people eat the same food together, they are more likely to bond quickly and trust each other. Somewhere it sets alight a reverence to long-standing traditions and December cheer.
The family has always been at the heart of the season for generations and it ensures that the spirit of Christmas never dies. There is reflection and retrospection as the year comes to an end. With Christmas behind us and 2021 drawing to an end, there is hope and joy as the New Year is ushered in with jolly good thoughts!
Christmas and December
Beating red like a heart, remember
The charm of a winter
And love that floats in the air.
Feby Imthias is a writer based in Abu Dhabi and author of the book, Children of the Sun, Sand and Seas. Twitter: @Feby_Imthias
