SERVICES


Tuesday December 21, 2010

First The Nation; Now Is Obama Actually Saving Christmas?

The Editorial Board isn't sure whether the President has saved the nation, but he is likely to have helped the economy (and his own reelection prospects) by extending the current tax rates for all taxpayers for another two years (White House)

By Alicia Colon

There have been numerous columns and essays theorizing that the Obama presidency saved the nation by waking up an apolitical and apathetic nation. Were it not for his aggressive left-wing, socialist agenda there would be no rise of a tea party electorate to steer the country in the right direction before it collapsed like other western governments in Europe. Now with so many Americans unemployed and facing bankruptcy, is it possible that the crass materialism of the Christmas season may dissipate and families will now get back to its true meaning? I came to that conclusion when a young harried mother complained to me that, "I just can't get into the Christmas spirit when I'm broke. I can't shop for the kid's presents." Expensive gift-giving has replaced the birth of Christ as the core of the Holiday for some time but is change finally on the horizon?

Post offices are reporting that the letters to Santa this year reflect the difficult economic times. Children are asking more for the ordinary basic needs for their family rather than for toys for themselves. While some pundits have deemed this a bad thing,

I'm not so sure it is.

In the meantime, the war against Christmas is ever-ongoing. New York City officials are continuing their battle to remove all Christian symbols in public areas so as not to offend the ACLU. The nativity scene was removed from the Staten Island Ferry terminal but a menorah and a Christmas tree were left in place. The irony is that the menorah has more of a religious connotation than the Christmas tree which has more to do with Charles Dickens and absolutely nothing to do with Jesus Christ. This battle against Christmas, however, is not something we should waste time fuming about.

This should be the most stress-free time of year with bonhomie and good cheer radiating from our family, friends and co-workers. Instead it is fraught with obligations that we have self-imposed on our daily lives.

I'm not sure exactly when the secularization of December 25th began but I'll bet Hollywood had a lot to do with it. The myth of Santa Claus has been enforced through feature films that make him the be-all of Christmas instead of the Christ child. It could also be the fault of merchandisers who market their luxury items during this season through clever ads that make a car with a giant bow a plausible gift for a loved one. Luxury gifts like these are more suitable for an individual birthday rather than for a time when one wants to give to multiple family members.

I've never understood how parents think it's endearing to perpetuate the Kris Kringle legend when sooner or later their children will find out they've been lied to all these years. Maybe if children understood that the Christmas gifts are not magical but purchased with their parents hard-earned money they'd be less avaricious - especially if there's a financial crisis in the family.

One of the firmest rules of parenting with my own six children was total honesty. I never lied to them and I had no problem explaining matters clearly rather than fudging the truth. That doesn't mean shattering the sentiment behind Santa Claus but rather clarifying the truth behind the myth.

My children were taught early on that Santa Claus is based on St. Nicholas who lived many years ago and was a good and generous bishop who left gifts for the poor. It is his spirit which lives on today and inspires us to do the same. I never had to explain away the hidden gifts and when times were very difficult we made up for it in other ways.

Every Christmas I bake what has become known as the Jesus cake on which we light one candle and sing Happy Birthday, Jesus. That tradition is now being carried on with my grandchildren. Some families practice sending balloons up into the sky to celebrate the Lord's birthday. It may sound silly but it's more appropriate and commemorative to the day than charging an Xbox or a Wii and adding to the family's credit card bills. Frankly I find videos of children tearing through innumerable gift wrappings somewhat obscene; the unmistakable look of unvarnished greed on their faces.

That hapless mother asked me how to handle the holiday TV commercials showing toys that make her kids jump up and say, "I want that." Besides turning off the TV, I used to point out to my children that the ads were all about toys that broke easily and never worked the way the commercial demonstrated. They learned early on how actors were hired to pretend that the toys were just fantastic. Kids are kids and if you treat them with intelligence they understand situations more clearly.

When they ask about gifts, I advised the young mother, turn it around and ask the children what are they planning to do for someone else? Little gifts of time and energy for others are a great way for them to get into the habit of selflessness and generosity.

In addition they are easily distracted and the best way to do that is to create new traditions for them. Christmas is the perfect time to make memories that don't cost an arm and a leg. Baking cookies for the local fire station; making handmade ornaments for the tree or snow globes from empty jars; visiting the sick in nursing homes; singing carols; stringing up lights - are just a few. The delicious smells of baking in the house or apartment can easily lift one's spirits more than fighting the shopping mall crowds.

This year our entire family is feeling the pinch of limited funds but curtailing gift purchases has not reduced our spirit of the season. It has instead made each purchase more meaningful. I was fortunate enough to receive a DVD of the documentary, "The Human Experience" a film made by residents of St. Francis House, a safe haven for young men from problem homes. The fledgling filmmakers went on a journey to discover our shared humanity in different parts of the world.

The faces of the lost children of Peru, the AIDs victims in Africa, the lepers in Ghana all confirm that they feel loved by God. This amazing film (www.grassrootsfilms.com) is a great gift for the season because it reminds us of the true meaning of Christmas: That God so loved the world that He gave us His only Son.

Merry Christmas, Mr. President and thanks.

Alicia Colon resides in New York City and can be reached at aliciav.colon@gmail.com and at www.aliciacolon.com

Follow irishexaminerus on Twitter

CURRENT ISSUE


RECENT ISSUES


SYNDICATE


Subscribe to this blog's feed
[What is this?]

POWERED BY


HOSTED BY


Copyright ©2006-2013 The Irish Examiner USA
Terms of Service | Privacy Policy
Website Design By C3I