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Ashirayi Mhlanga
Through the years, Christmas has been robbed from our society and we do not even realise it. Yes, we celebrate it but it no longer has the meaning it used to have back then.
The word Christmas has its origins from the Old English “Crisse Moesse”, which is new English for the mass, festival or celebration of Christ.
Instead, Christmas has now become all about presents.
A survey done revealed that only 11 percent of children could link Christmas Day with the birth of Christ. Most thought it was the time when Santa comes down from the North Pole to reward good children by giving them presents. And for others Santa or no Santa, Christmas is a day they just get spoilt, a second birthday so to say.
You cannot blame the children.
Maybe the fault lies on all the American culture that we consume every day! According to Reuters nine in 10 Americans say they celebrate Christmas — including 80 percent of non-Christians -but only half of Americans view Christmas mostly as a religious holiday, while a third view it as more of a cultural holiday, according to the poll by the Pew Research Centre.
If you take a walk down Harare CBD or any mall, you will see all sorts of decorations of Santa Claus, elves, reindeers and big gift boxes. It therefore magnifies the aspect of Santa and the presents he brings, little light is put on the birth of Christ which is what Christmas celebrates.
In the business world, Christmas Day has become an opportune time to maximise and make a lot of money because consumers are constantly buying. And it seems we have all come to believe that unless you are spending mindlessly, then you are not being festive.
Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying that presents must not be shared but the focus must not be lost. Some parents are actually dreading Christmas Day because it means they have to spend money on presents for their kids.
“Honestly, I am planning on getting money for school fees at the moment, buying presents is not a priority at the moment, but I have to do it because my children will not understand,” said one parent.
Yes, presents are a part of Christmas, we cannot overlook that. It is part of the Christmas spirit to share gifts and appreciate each other with thanksgiving in our hearts.
However, remember that the reason behind why we give each other gifts is because it symbolises the way the three wise men came to the manger where Christ lay and gave him gifts as a thanksgiving offer to God for giving the world a Messiah. Thousands of years later, we now give each other gifts in celebration and thanksgiving for the same reason.
It is up to us as society to revive the true story of Christmas which has been sidelined throughout the years otherwise it will lose its value and the upcoming generation will just think of Christmas day as “presents day”.
Spend time as a family this Christmas and take time to appreciate that there is more to it than gifts.
Merry Christmas and a splendid New Year to you all!
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Online Reporter