By George Brown / Ponoka News
This short column is being written by the light of a Christmas tree, as snow is gently falling outside. The hot chocolate and Bailey’s with marshmallows is warming my fingers after spending the afternoon clearing the driveway. Annoying Yuletide commercials are playing on the TV as I await the opening of that most blessed of events: the holiday presentation of that Yuletide classic, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. Unfortunately CBC has seen fit to trim some of the humour to cram in more commercials for chocolates, video games and cellphones.
Yes, it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas.
Getting in the Christmas spirit can be a little tougher for some people. Christmas is a traditionally a time for celebration and family reunions; but it should also be a time to consider those less fortunate — in our community and around the world. Volunteers are presenting a Blue Christmas service and Christmas dinners to try to include as many people as possible. School junior and senior high school students in Rimbey showed they care with their Stuff a Bus drive in support of the Santa’s Anonymous campaign
And if the Christmas spirit can be expressed in volume, the enthusiasm for Christmas has been shown in traditional carol concerts and original school plays.
Christmas, with its pagan origins, Christian faith, commercialization and cartoon elves has moved beyond faith to fiction. It’s taken centuries of priests, pop songs, Hollywood screenwriters and animators to create this melting pot mélange of icons known as Christmas. We’ve somehow redefined Christmas: from Virgin birth, Wise Men and shepherds, to Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman, and Santa Claus leaving presents under a tree — with some overeating and drinking thrown in for good measure.
It’s become difficult to see the baby in the manger for all of the tinsel, snowflakes and gay apparel. Some of us will celebrate the religious aspect of Christmas; some of us will rejoice in the time we spend with family and friends. Perhaps in the end, the result is the same.
Life is full of little blessings but often it is only at Christmas that we see them.
If you can’t be home for Christmas, have Christmas in your heart.