There can hardly be anyone who does not welcome the Christmas break from politics. The political discourse has been so intense these past few days, so acerbic and downright challenging that most are looking forward to the few days of political calm that so often characterises this time of the year.

In truth, the political temperature rises every time the government presents its annual Budget, but the recent shooting incident involving the driver of a former Cabinet minister raised the heat to boiling point. So, hopefully, the two main parties will now stop their razor-sharp language for a while and let people enjoy the festive season free of the tension that high-pitch politics invariably generates across the country.

The political truce is normally well observed, but with politicians one can never be sure where one stands. There are many reflections that can be made this Christmas, foremost perhaps is the ridiculous extent to which some people in certain countries are taking political correctness. It is true that Christmas is far too commercialised today, but taking Christ completely out of Christmas does not make sense at all.

Substituting “Happy holidays” for “Happy Christmas” carries no significance. In the name of political correctness and secularisation, people in some countries are being discouraged from sending Christmas cards or singing Christmas carols. This is most absurd, for Christmas is, or ought to be, all about celebrating the birth of Christ. It defeats reason to turn it into a meaningless festival. We have enough festivals as it is already.

Luckily, Malta is still rooted in traditional values, at least in so far as Christmas is concerned, though no one can rule out the possibility that, in the same way that we now have a far-right movement, sooner or later some group or other will be tempted to take this route to excessive secularisation as well.

Will that be considered a mark of social advancement and a move towards greater political correctness? Why does respect for other religions have to mean, in the view of some supposedly enlightened people, imposing restrictions on one’s traditional Christian values? Doesn’t this amount to self-imposed discrimination? So, in so far as Christmas is concerned, down with political correctness.

Commercialisation of Christmas has taken strong root in Malta as well. However, the Christmas spirit is still alive and kicking, maybe not to the same extent as it used to be, but it has not died out.

Another reflection: Christmas is said to be a time for giving, to be generous with those who are destitute, with the infirm and with those who may require medical assistance. The Maltese are generous, but aren’t we holding far too many collections at the same time? More importantly, is the fruit of all this generosity reaching those who are most in need?

There is no doubt that most charitable activities are done in good faith and that the money collected is put to good use. But why should one charity become so dominant? Shouldn’t the money that is available for the taking, as it were, be more evenly distributed among other equally deserving charities on the island?

These questions are not being posed to cast doubt on the trustworthiness and intentions of the organisation, for, like other charities, it deserves encouragement and praise for the work it is doing. The questions are only being made to stimulate discussion about whether the system we have in place can somehow be improved upon.