CHRISTMAS: A Pointless Holiday?
You tell me…
Christmas! Say it out loud...Christmas! How does it feel? The sound of that word provokes joy in the hearts of many...or maybe some.
It provokes a feeling of oneness and togetherness. I can already picture the well decorated trees, the streets, the blinking red, blue and green lights quietly whispering "We wish you a merry Christmas..." The air bringing the sweet scent of bay leaf, fried rice and chicken and the kids dressed in smiles with white and red caps, but...what do all these mean?
Is it just a time when we gather around to celebrate and share gifts to mark the birth of baby Jesus? Is it a time when we mend ties and forgive in the spirit of Christmas or a time when we ponder and reflect on what a year we’ve had? Do you think it is actually worth celebrating? Is it worth looking forward to? Do you think it deserves all the hype attached to it? Do you think the world will be the same and just fine without it being celebrated? What do you love the most about this period? Is it the weather or perhaps, the food? How exactly, does Christmas make you feel?
I went ahead to get opinions of people on the significance of Christmas to them:
"Christmas serves as a 'Rest time,' A time for people to take in that breath and let all that tension out, a time they need to be happy and put behind them all differences and worries and just be happy for that moment (Student, UNILAG).”
"Christmas is a very very special day because that is the day that Jesus our saviour was born, I don’t know about other people but that day I get to see family members I have not seen in a long time, enjoy myself and all, basically that’s what Christmas is like to me or rather that’s what it means to me (Student, Microbiology, Caleb University).”
"Just some regular holiday. Nothing more" ( Student, Mass comm, Caleb University).”
"When I was younger, Christmas used to mean everything to me. The food, the visitors, the new clothes and shoes. I loved it all as a child, I still love it now that I’m older but I’m no longer as zealous about it as I used to be. Christmas is a season of love and celebration so it still means a lot to me. (Student, English and Literary studies, UNIZIK).”
"Honestly when I was young I looked forward to Christmas every year... well mostly because of the amount of food that I’ll consume that day and the fact that I get to meet friends I haven’t seen in a long time. So what Christmas means to me firstly is celebrating Christ and honestly being happy and eating as much as I want and Christmas is also an excuse to rest and be extra lazy...I still look forward to Christmas cause I get to spend time with my family and be happy. ( Student, Account and Business Admin, Caleb University).”
"Set aside enjoyment, I think it’s just to be happy for how far you’ve come. (Computer Science, Caleb university).”
"Towards the end of the year, it is a yearly event, I guess we both know that, lol! Christmas to me is a period where I get to meet with other family members I’ve not been able to connect with for a long while. Most times, I tend to use this time to rest from school work (If needed), go on vacation, decorate the house (In and out). I mostly do this with people I love. Christmas for me is love, peace and a time to evaluate yourself on how far you’ve gone for the year.” (Student, Mass comm, Caleb University).
Christmas gives people a reason to be happy, you know? Some people live their lives day in, day out without actually being happy, this period is the only time they have a reason to be, a time when they unite with their families and loved ones to celebrate and laugh again, under huge Christmas trees and of course, blinding lights.
While Christmas is a thing of joy and happiness for some, it is a thing of sadness and holds no value whatsoever to others. Not every home has that extra cash to spend on presents, trees and other Christmas expenses. Many become sad during this period when they think of their loved ones who won’t be celebrating with them due to certain reasons, for instance, death and other factors.
Christmas is a day like any other day, however, it’s meaning depends solely on "You," the individual concerned, so...to "You" reading this, what does Christmas mean to you?
