Even though I’m edging towards seventy it cannot be “old age” that is responsible for my increasing intolerance or cynicism with respect to the once–beautiful festival of Christmas. For, if for no other reason, Guyanese senior citizens – including myself – still love the nostalgia of what comprised the celebration of Christmases past.
What then irks me – and quite a few of my sixty–seventy plus peers? I suppose it really isn’t difficult to identify. It’s today’s rampant commercialism of this Christian festival which, after the Child’s actual virgin birth, was itself corrupted and disfigured by very non–Christian traditions and imagery having nothing to do with the Divine Baby or His later adult life. (I’ll return to the latter observation a few sentences down.)
But I ask you, my citizens, Christian or not: What Does The Birth of Jesus have to do with the numerous “promotions” by numerous stores?
The answer, of course, is nothing! But the reason for the phenomenon is obvious: using a celebration to promote rampant consumerism. Since the Baby Jesus was the greatest gift to humanity – according to Christians – seduce the thousands to purchase, to consume at this time of the all–pervasive festival. It’s all too overdone for commercial profits for a few. I urge moderation. Even as you stock up and spruce up. Maintain the spirit of Christmas but save for next year!
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A lie people need?
A lie can be an untrue statement or concoction often meant to deceive, to mislead. People need certain beliefs. Many welcome themselves into faiths, religions, cults, even superstitions born of science or metaphysics.
I suspect that mankind needs a balm to comfort and soothe the stresses of living. Christians embrace the Virgin Birth as related by their four gospel writers.
And the nativity, by itself, is a beautiful tale. But Christian, Jewish theologians, Historians, Bible Analysts generally agree that December 25 is a most unlikely date or time for Birth in that part of our world.
As I repeated before “there is no contemporary evidence of the exact date of Jesus’ Birth”. Bethlehem is given as the Christ–Child’s birth place and Nazareth of Galilee his childhood neighbourhood.
The Roman Leaders of the time promoted the first December 25 – “Christmas” around 354 to popularise their own celebrations at a specific season. By the way, the lovely Carols, the seasonal trees, ivy, holly, chestnuts, frosty and Santa, which all still informs our tropical “Christmas”, have nothing to do with the Middle Eastern Birth. Europe was/is great at foisting all that upon us.
Never-the-less, the Beautiful Lie/Inaccuracy is annually welcomed. Because this season brings out the good in many which trait is absent before year end. And I submit that Frankly Speaking, we must use “Christmas to promote those positives. Beyond December!
A Lament and a Warning
The positives Christmas brings notwithstanding, I am given to repeating two almost extreme positions these days.
The first is from an Amar Panday:
“Christmas in Guyana has been the grandest instrument of an excessive consumerism where our people are psychologically cajoled and lured into unfettered spending. Spending; that is, in the context of a poor country, a drainage of scarce resources. Spending that breaches the inclination to frugality that is supposed to be the foundation of our economic life. Spending that in no small way contributes towards the perpetuation of that vicious cycle of poverty in our country. To tangibly demonstrate the reality of this is not very difficult. Savings that could have been put to entrepreneurial use with long-lasting economic reward are frittered away with religious fervor. Parents who deprived their children of text books and additional reading material suddenly plunge into a spending spree. I have often wondered why so much has be historically expended in the strange ritualistic importation of “ice” apples, grapes, Christmas trees and the whole assortment of Santa Clause paraphernalia. What part of Christianity stipulates this?”
Then there is Mr Hamley Case, who, after reading America writer Neil Donald Walsh, discovered that, apparently, God designed our Bodies to last us some 200 years!
But we have destroyed systematically, that higher threshold by what we put into those bodies. Hamley says we out do ourselves at Christmas time: Over one week we swallow a wide range of meats (dead animals); Garlic pork, pepperpot, ham, turkey, chicken; sweetened Homemade Drinks- Mauby, Ginger Beer, Sorrell, Wine, Alcohol(s)! Coffee, cider; nuts of all description; cakes, cookies. And the fore-going is just a sampling of what we overload the digestive system with at this time. Again I ask: Did Baby Jesus ever ask us to “celebrate” As we do? Oh! It’s traditional?
A Cleaner 2014
We in and of Guyana have no choice but to pledge and work towards making this society extremely Cleaner and Healthier beginning New Year’s Day 2014.
Amidst all the “Happy New Year” wishes, the realist in me tells me the capital will be at its dirtiest by Old Year’s Day.
Again, I’m involved in some Solid Waste Management Initiatives that must take hold early in 2014. Despite the politics and the disgrace charaterising municipal and governmental responsibilities. This column will simplify and amplify each initiative consistently.
Meanwhile, you keep your spots as clean and clear as possible and teach your young ones about pride!
Merry? Happy?
You see the rich-poor gap at this time too: Bicycle as against SUV; the water-vendor buying shoes from the vast shoe-store.
Who enjoys this Season more? Rich? Or poor?
They say the Spirit is what matters.
A few million dollars still lie wasted at Princes and High Streets in Georgetown. (While government workers stay in need, as they tire of protesting).
’Til next week
(comments?allanafenty@yahoo.com)
