Christmas past

Christmas is but a few days away. Bells are jingling and reindeer mingling everywhere I go. The stores are filled with glittery, shiny goodies and people are rushing about with anxious looks or focused determination painted on their faces. Let’s spend some more and find that perfect gift!
It seems every year I have a harder time getting into the spirit of Christmas. I actually like giving gifts and making people happy; that’s not the reason I am so unenthusiastic. I just don’t really enjoy the rush and craziness surrounding this holiday. Everything is so out of proportion. We are celebrating Santa on the day Christ was born, for God’s sake! I am not even religious and this little incongruency bothers me. Shouldn’t we be in a reflective, joyful, and rejoicing mood, rather than feel stressed and unnerved?
Well, I have children that are looking forward to Christmas just as I did when I was a child. I will make sure they have a joyful holiday and memories that they will cherish. To accomplish that, I don’t need to spend horrendous sums of money. My fondest memories of Christmases past as a child are not of expensive gifts, but of family togetherness, candle light, Christmas songs, cookies and warm punch. I don’t even remember the gifts I received last year. That’s because what matters most at Christmas time is that we celebrate together as a family and enjoy each others company in a festive environment. It’s the customs and traditions we follow in the company of our loved ones at Christmas that make this day special.
I fondly remember my childhood Christmases in Switzerland among the many members of my family. I was always so anxious to see the tree on Christmas Eve (that’s when we celebrate in most European countries). Traditionally, the decorated tree is a surprise for the children and never fails to awe with its multitude of burning candles. Yes, we use real candles on our Christmas trees in Switzerland. It is a sight to behold!
I remember the Christmas masses we went to at midnight, when the lights were switched off in the church and everyone in the congregation held a small white candle in their hands that they had lit from the person adjacent to them. The organ would play and everyone raised their voices singing “Silent Night, Holy Night.”
That is what Christmas is all about, and that’s what I remember and cherish most about this holiday.