Christmas, what a wonderful and loaded time of the year. No other occasion is observed or celebrated around the world with such importance. It does not matter if you are Christian or non-Christian, Christmas is huge. Regardless of how it is celebrated and for whatever reasons, it is a holiday associated with family, warmth and gifts. Christmas trees and decorations, presents, stockings over the fireplace, candles, Christmas songs, Santa, reindeers, snowmen, sweaters, beanies, turkey feasts: all bring a nostalgia for warm cocoa and family. How can anyone not love Christmas? Even in predominantly Shintō Buddhist Japan, Christmas trees and decorations, and the singing of Christmas songs such as “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” or “White Christmas” can be widely observed. In some parts of India, where the Christmas tree cannot be found, the mango tree has been used to replace and represent the traditional Christmas tree, and houses are decorated with mango leaves and paper stars.
We live in complicated and difficult times — economically, politically and socially. These days, we are told we should use politically correct and secular terms like “Happy Holidays” or “Season’s Greetings” to replace “Merry Christmas”. Children’s imaginings like fairies, angels and Santa are viewed with suspicion. When approached by a mother who asked him, how could she get her child to be as smart as he was, Einstein was reputed to have answered: “If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales.” He is not alone, authors like J.R.R. Tolkien and A.S. Byatt have cited fairy tales as essential sources of inspiration. Fairy tales spark the imagination and that is a fundamental aspect of children’s development. Mental health issues are on the rise. People find it difficult to talk positively to themselves. Perhaps if we gave our children a headstart in glad and happy imaginings, they would be happier adults. Letters from Santa, coins from the Tooth Fairy, eggs from the Easter Bunny are happy things. There is no political or religious agenda behind them and they should not be politicized. For those of us who did grow up with them, they are simply cultural items associated with the stories and customs of the seasons and the special occasions. Activities like putting out cookies for Santa, finding a coin from the Tooth Fairy under the pillow and getting the children to look for eggs in the garden are just, fun.
Lessons From The Pandemic
Of course, no one likes the traffic jams, the crazy shoppers, the long queues everywhere, but that is not Christmas. Christmas was quieter than usual the last two years because of the coronavirus pandemic and the resulting lockdowns. This year, with some hope, we might see the light at the end of the tunnel. We might finally be able to gather to celebrate Christmas with family and friends. Maybe the pandemic taught us something. Maybe the quiet associated with the last two Christmases brings the real meaning across — that at the end of the day, or year, time spent with family and loved ones is the most important thing. During the pandemic, we had video calls on Skype, Zoom, WhatsApp and Facetime to connect with family and friends we were not able to physically visit. Letter writing also became quite the thing again during the pandemic!
Maybe another lesson we can learn from the pandemic is about slowing down our lives and going back to simpler times. Of course, we need to have jobs and money, but beyond that, what is more important for all creatures is to know that we are all loved and cared for; and nothing says that better than a thoughtful letter. I don’t know anyone, wherever they live, and however remotely they are located, who would not like to receive a written letter from anyone, even if it is a stranger. Nothing beats a good old-fashioned letter from a loved one, or even better yet, from Santa! There is just something special about a letter that you can hold on to and read again and again. Letters are powerful, both for the sender and the receiver. For the sender, it is an organization and release of important thoughts and feelings. There is a reason why letters are also used in therapy work. For the receiver, it is the physical representation of someone thinking about you and it can’t get more special than that. In a world of Zoom calls and emails, someone actually took the time to sit down and compose a letter to you. Getting a letter during Christmas is doubly special. Someone took the trouble to prepare everything in time before Christmas, bearing in mind the bottleneck in the mailing system during that period. And, that is what Christmas is all about.