Oh for the Christmases of bygone years! Once upon a time, aeons ago it seems now, when I was nine, 10, 11 years old, my mum and dad would be preparing for Christmas a month before the actual day. It was Christmas puddings, Christmas cakes and mince pies galore.
As a child growing up, during the Christmas period all I could hear my parents talking about was Christmas carols, cribs, Christmas Mass and the birth of our Saviour. Mum and dad rarely spoke "presents" to us, though every Christmas she would dress up as Father Christmas after we had stuffed our faces with food and literally shower us with gifts she and dad had bought for us.
Every Christmas too dad would decorate our flat with Christmas decorations as if his life depended on it. Honestly, he did not get much sleep until room after room after room was practically overloaded with paper decorations and all that was associated with the festive season.
Mum's joy was her crib. Every year she added tiny models so that Baby Jesus would be literally surrounded by the three kings, sheep, cows etc. She placed them neatly inside the crib and woe betide anyone who dared touch her Christmas "toy".
All in all my sister and I were raised in an atmosphere where Christmas was a time for giving, forgiving and most importantly a time to remember Him who was born to us. The birth of Jesus Christ was given top priority.
Those days are long past. Alas, today little thought is given to the birth of our Saviour. All that concerns most people is how many parties one is invited to, the type of gifts one might get and it is a well-known fact that some houses do not even exhibit a crib at all for Christmas. It is just Father Christmas, a Christmas tree and loads of Christmas decorations and ornaments.
Where has it all gone? Where has the feeling that Christmas should be celebrated because our Saviour came into the world gone? Where has the love that should be felt towards Him who came on earth to save us gone?
Over the years I have been observing the downfall of Christmas because every year I am witness to Christmas being termed as the holiday season. Even children these days do not open their mouths to speak of what Christmas is really all about because unfortunately at a young age they are injected to think that Christmas is simply a time for exchanging gifts.
I end as I began - Oh for the Christmases of long ago when stuffed turkey, Yorkshire pudding, roast potatoes and baby carrots plus the tradition of handing out presents took second priority to the birth of Our Lord.
The true meaning of Christmas is dead.