I’m pretty sure that when those Catholic priests chose December 25 as the ’birthday’ of THE supreme entity's son who supposedly walked on Earth more than 2,000 years ago from today, they were just thinking of a date when they could have a festive celebration in commemoration of that birth in Bethlehem.
After all, there are literally hundreds (actually, there might be thousands) of saints in the realm of Catholicism – and almost each one has a designated date in the calendar dedicated to ‘celebrate’ their….whatever noble thing they did when they were alive.
So if saints have their dates, Jesus Christ of all characters would have a date of his own, too, regardless of whether or not it has anything to do with his actual date of birth.
But Christmas has become NOT a momentous birthday celebration for Catholics all over the world – it has become something else, good and bad – at least for most people.
For businesses, it has become an opportunity to lure more consumers to buy stuff they don’t really need, taking advantage of the Christmas fever that unleashes the beast in every impulsive shopper. While others (particularly small stores) are even more rotten; they tend to up the prices of their goods instead of giving holiday discounts.
For the rich kids, it’s their chance to get the newest iPhone, while kids in typhoon-stricken places have nothing to eat during Christmas Eve.
For celebrities, it’s their time to organize ‘feeding drives’ amongst underprivileged people and then posting their ‘good deeds’ on Instagram.
For non-Catholics, it’s a difficult time; they need to suppress their envy of the lack of such a joyous tradition, convincing themselves that they are apathetic to the Christmas spirit while at the back of their minds they are thinking of sliced ham and spaghetti.
Meanwhile, ‘Christian’ protestants would swallow their pride and take part in the Christmas celebrations, even though it is clearly a Catholic rite, saying “Hey, we believe in Jesus Christ, too, don't we?” Lol. Just kidding.
For politicians, it has become an occasion to emphasize their ‘presence’ and maintain their reputation in the minds of the voters.. er, people. Two words: Christmas epal
But what should Christmas be all about, really?
It should be about being with your family and friends, all the people you love.
It should be about reaching out a hand to people who need some help and some loving, without asking anything in return, including AND ESPECIALLY publicity.
It should be about the street children who are still out there selling sampaguitas and candles instead of eating a delicious Noche Buena dinner.
It should be about the street children who are out there working for other people when they should be opening wrapped boxes at home and feeling ecstatic from receiving their new toys.
It should be about the elderly who are still wandering around the streets at midnight, asking for spare change, when they should be at home surrounded by their grandkids and trading gifts.
It should be about the homeless families in Samar and Leyte, whose any chances of having a decent Christmas were destroyed by a life-changing typhoon. We may not be able to hand them food or gifts, but in our minds we should at least think of them, and how fortunate we are that we still have a roof above our heads.
It’s not about how much we received this season. It should be about how much we are able to give, and how much MORE we could have given if we weren’t too damn selfish.
Photo credits: doorwaytoparadise.blogspot.com | wikimedia.org | Instagram
