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Christmas is for children !
Charmaine FERNANDO
Remember how we dressed up so quickly, unlike the other days , when
our parents took us visiting our neighbours at Christmas time? I still
remember vividly how every neighbour in our little neighbourhood gave us
sparklers and crackers; sometimes they were generous enough to buy us
toys. Likewise my parents had toys for all our friends in the
neighbourhood. It was such a wonderful feeling to have Christmas come
around at this time of the year with school holidays giving us space to
enjoy the exciting feeling to the fullest. Do the children of today get
the same kind of spine-chilling excitement over Christmas? Do they know
its Christmas time, at all? Its up to us to help them to feel the joy of
the season in their little hearts.
 When we visited relatives at Christmas time we always got beautifully
wrapped gifts. As children we adored the season and it had this wondrous
quality to mesmerize our little souls. We were fascinated with the aroma
of Pine trees, and Christmas goodies Mum used to make at the beginning
of the season. Christmas cake has such a rich aroma that my Mum had a
time hiding it from hungry little mouths that had an insatiable penchant
for anything that tasted 'Christmassy'.
We loved the mince pies she made at home together with my older
sisters. She made different kinds of sweets like pineapple toffee,
potato aluwa, rulang toffee to mention a few. I still remember the
melting taste in my mouth. We loved to wrap the Christmas cake in silver
and gold wrappers. Some times Mum would decide to go for red and green
glass paper wrappers and somehow the feeling of having anything to do
with Christmas goodies was of unlimited joy. More than wrapping we got a
better chance at tasting when we helped Mum to cut the Christmas cake
ingredients. It was fun working at it and we would sing along while
listening to Carols on the hi-fi.
Exciting
Life was always so exciting in December when we were kids. We used to
wonder whether our neighbours and relatives were competing with each
other to make the best tasting Christmas goodies and weren't we happy to
be the honoured judges and food tasters throughout the season. We were
willing helpers at all our neighbours' homes when it came to cutting the
cake ingredients. They needed our help and we were overjoyed at the
prospect. Of course we tried our level best to remain honest children
who only cut ingredients with our mouths shut. We only opened them to
check every once in a while whether the ingredients were of the right
quality. They always were.
I remember how we loved shopping as kids when parents took us to
restaurants every hour or so because all kids need to sit and felt
thirsty and hungry every now and then. My parents, I believe spent more
on food than the actual shopping list when we were taken around. We were
bought one toy each but the Santa filled our senses and aspirations with
his generosity when he stopped by at midnight on the irresistible eve of
Christmas. We had such long lists and never failed to receive every
single entry. That was the wonder of our parents and adults around us.
They made our Christmas so unforgettable.
 Christmas is the most wondrous season of it all. Every child dreams
of Christmas and looks forward counting days till it happens. The
feeling is so special and mesmerizing. The chill in the air at Christmas
time adds to this extreme feeling of elation. We always went for the
midnight Mass on the eve of Christmas and the celebration always touched
our hearts with so much warmth and joy. After the service practically
the entire parish greets each other and the camaraderie one feels is so
magical.
Christmas tree
The Christmas Tree always took the centre of attention in every
Christian home, of course next to the Crib. We always showed off our
creativity making such a unique Crib. I remember how my sister and I
made the entire nativity environment and figures out of smooth clay dug
out from a deep pit at the end of our long stretch of garden. We painted
it to look amazingly real. The visitors were full of praise over our
creativity that it touched us deep down and we decided to retain the
figures safely in tact over the years. To date have been continually
using it every year at Christmas time with of course a different setting
recreating a mini Bethlehem in our home at Christmas!
Christmas is for children. There is no celebration without them.
Imagine a home at Christmas time with no kids around: No Santa claus
with his gifts, no Christmas Tree with lights and no home-made Christmas
goodies! You are bound to miss the real feeling of Christmas, then. If
you happen to have no kids around you this Christmas, do not hesitate to
go and look for one or two out there some place:You are bound to find
them with their bright eyes and ever smiling faces looking up to us.
It's that special time of the year when the soul stirs up the goodness
in us, moving us to do something good, at least one good thing, if at
all.
Spare a few rupees off your thousands in the purse to buy a toy for a
kid and of course some tasty Christmas sweetmeat or two. Give it away to
a kid and watch him unwrap the gift with excitement and revel at the
discovery. To see a child grin with all his heart is the biggest reward
an adult can receive this season.
Go all out to make a child's little soul overjoyed. Do it for
goodness sake. You can do it for the sake of the little babe in
Bethlehem. If you were around at that time, what would you take along,
if you had the opportunity to go and see him on his birthday? Try to see
Christ in every child because He is there in them. Sharing your joy is
the best anyone can ever do especially at Christmas time.
Make your Christmas the most joyful season, blessed with the warmest
soul-stirring feeling of them all! |
