Understanding Christmas
By Leo James Pereira
Perspective is a fundamental aspect of an individual that develops worldview _ the way one understands the surroundings. Society is vulnerable, besides fact there is fiction, besides truth there is error, besides science there is myth, and besides honesty there is deceit. Therefore, understanding the world today is complicated but essential. It is each individuals perspective that guides how one understands the world and makes meaning of the surroundings. In a similar way, to understand Christmas and its true spirit, one needs to see through the lenses of faith, culture, tradition, and local customs.
Christians around the world celebrate Christmas commemorating the birth of Jesus. According to the Christian doctrine and faith, Christians believe that Jesus was the son of God, He became a man and was born in a stable in Bethlehem. Jesus gave up His very self for love of the people, became fully human and lived among them to bring happiness in their lives. The birth of Jesus is a historical fact and Christmas is a sacred religious festival that has strong cultural and traditional significance and influences.
Based on the culture and traditions in each society throughout the world, people celebrate Christmas in various manners. Christmas has a commercial impact also. For this reason, Christmas celebrations reach beyond the boundaries of religions, creeds, cultures and nations. One of the most significant virtues of Christmas is happiness, passing on happiness, and making others happy. Happiness heals inequities mental, spiritual, and social - in people, and restores strength in them.
According to tradition and practice, Christians around the world spend four weeks in preparation for the Coming of Jesus prior to Christmas in a period known as the Advent season. During Advent, Christians prepare themselves through special prayers, reading the Bible focusing on the coming of Jesus, and meditation on the readings. All prayers, meditations, and spiritual activities focus on the Advent themes - faith, hope, joy, awaiting, and preparing the way. Thus, Christians prepare themselves mentally and spiritually to accept Jesus in their lives.
The main liturgy (prayer or mass) of Christmas takes place on December 24 at midnight, known as Christmas vigil, and on December 25 in the morning. Most Christians participate in one or both of the masses. Although Christmas is a sacred religious feast for Christians, celebration of Christmas vary in the context of culture, traditions, ethnic groups, regions, and nations. Christians celebrate Christmas according to local culture and traditions, and express and share their happiness and joy with others. Commonly seen symbols such as Christmas trees, wreaths, Santa Claus, reindeer, etc are icons mainly of western culture.
In Bangladesh, traditional celebration of Christmas includes people decorating their homes using various local flowers _marigold, rose, lily, making a gate with banana plants at the entrance of the house and dressing it up with flowers and coloured paper, making different decorations with coloured paper, covering the yard using alluvial soil to look whitish and making various alpana (floor designs) around the house. People also prepare a stable to recall that Jesus was born in a stable in Bethlehem. Women prepare rice flour for making various types of pithas (pies) with milk, coconut and molasses, such as chitoi pitha, patisapta pitha, different types of kuli pitha, philis pitha, bora pitha, bikka pitha, and many other items. Usually parents buy new clothes for everyone in the family to wear during Christmas. After Christmas mass, the youths and children go house to house and sing traditional Christmas songs known as kirtan (carols).
On Christmas day at noon, people of a para or moholla (a neighborhood) usually gather in one house, bring pithas from their own homes, and sit and discuss various common issues. The purpose usually is forgetting and forgiving and building positive relationships among each other. Afterwards, families get together at home and enjoy their Christmas meal. They may also visit friends and relatives and invite them home as well.
Christmas means sharing of happiness, peace and love. Christmas is the occasion when God showed love for the people, healed their internal inequalities, and renewed their strength. At Christmas, every Christian is called to be happy and make others happy, share happiness with everyone around and do everything possible to bring happiness to oness family and society. One cannot be happy when neighbours go without food or clothes. A community cannot be happy when neighbours do not have shelter or the environment becomes unlivable. A true Christmas inspires everyone to be happy, to share happiness and to do everything possible for others happiness. The true spirit of Christmas is: Together make society a better place to live in harmony and happiness with others.
The writer is a religious of the Congregation of Holy Cross and an independent education researcher.
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