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by Arnold De Villa
December 1, 2011
My father-in-law uttered that phrase on our way to a Sunday Mass the other day. He then added that only holidays are observed. “Well, isn’t Christmas a Holiday, I asked?” Deep within, I knew what he was referring to.
The gush of cold wind creeping through our skin, the yellow foliage of brittled leaves carpeting the front yard, lights blinking in the neighborhood – hallmarks of a season whose impact comes in through “Black Friday” more than anything else. Don’t they celebrate Christmas?
Well, the “Simbang Gabi” is still there. Although most of the people who plan it are more enthused by the food they serve after the liturgy as most people who attend do so because of the party after the real “Party”, some if not all, truly come because of the Spirit of Christmas, that is, a genuine reminiscence of Christ’s birth. So perhaps my father-in-law is talking about the air of Christmas, the laid back Philippine style wherein people take life in stride despite poverty and suffering as compared to the American one, wherein people strive hard to have more despite the fact that there are probably no reasons to have more. Maybe he misses the carolers who serenade the houses with home-made percussions and are happy with the sound of coins after their songs. Perhaps he longs for the simple joy in the company of friends, being able to chat the whole day as they stroll through the idyllic plaza and shop for “puto” on the next street corner.
“They Don’t Celebrate Christmas here. They only observe holidays”. Hmmm, how do we distinguish this? Looking at the calendar, there are red days marked as holidays when banks are closed, no mails are delivered and kids do not go to school. Most often, we look forward to holidays because we get to rest. Hurray, no office! Unless you work in the health care business, holidays are a real treat. They are the few times that a pay check comes even while we snore at home. Christmas is indeed a holiday because most offices are closed, workers get a chance to stay at home, and kids do not have school. However, for Christians, we are aware that there is more to it than rest. It is a given that Christmas is nothing if we do not believe in Christ. As Filipinos, many of us recall that it is the time of year when family reunions take place in front of a banquet. It’s a treat that is as rare and special as caviar.
“Black Friday” is marked as the portal of the Holiday Season. On that day, a mob of frantic consumers rally behind stores to grab a pair of shoes, a big screen television, a nice device, or a rare toy with the perception that they are getting a good deal. This year, many stores opened at midnight, an excuse for some individuals to skip a boring family ritual. For some, it is a tragic choice between keeping a job or staying with their children. And for others, it is a way to dilute the loneliness of solitude. As far as I know, it is only in America that the best shopping days have always been equated with a Holiday Season. Hence, we have “Black Fridays” and Cyber Mondays, raking in billions of dollars into the pockets of Corporate America, the 1% sector that many “Occupiers” dislike. But wait, I think I saw some of them deviating their queue from behind the picket lines to that of the shopping line. “They don’t celebrate Christmas here. They only observe holidays”.
“Chestnuts roasting on an open fire……I’m dreaming of a white Christmas……Dashing through the snow…..” are lyrics of songs we hummed back home. Funny how we remember them even without a slightest idea back then of how snow looks like, of never having a fire place, and not eating chestnuts on a regular basis. But the air of Christmas was there, the unexplained joy that instills a profound pleasure of a special time, a time of care free moments unfettered from the monotony of base routines, a time when having was not much of an issue as sharing was more of a common intent.
The day after Thanksgiving, our family digged boxes from the basement and installed the usual tapestries of green plastic branches, chain lights, and trinkets. Soon I will have to go out and brave a cold weather just so to hang some lights from the edges of our roof and match the display of our lighted block. Dead leaves hanging on trees are almost done. I will be happy not to have more of them in big brown paper bags as yard disposal. Boxes wrapped in ribbons and silver threads will be designated to friends and family. And then Christmas will be over. The New Year will follow with a blink and a bang.
So what does Christmas mean for you? Is there a special way you celebrate it? Do you build traditions in your home or do you simply observe them? Do you cherish it with friends or do you savor it alone? Do you find joy in thinking of what to give that could create that warm fuzzy feeling or are you more enthralled by new things you expect to receive?
It puzzles me how non-Christians celebrate Christmas. No matter how secular values try to dilute the aura of Christ’s birth, non-Christians will never know the true meaning of Christmas. They do not believe, do not accept or do not understand the meaning of Jesus Christ’s birth. The mystery of Incarnation, the reality of God made Man, will never be part of whatever they are celebrating. In that sense, it is then perhaps true that they are only observing the holidays and not celebrating Christmas. Perhaps they caused the shopping spree to spike to a peak, adding more than 300 points to the Dow Jones Index. Not bad. This economy needs material visibility anyway.
Meanwhile, cold winds and snow are about to arrive. Wrap yourselves well and try not to get sick. I still need to do some shopping, but first I think I need to do some quiet time before a Cross or out in the open. Keep warm. See you soon!