Feliz Navidad

We wish you a Merry Christmas

We wish you a Merry Christmas A

And a Happy New Year"

I've heard it, you've heard it, increasingly over the last weeks,peaking tonight and tomorrow. If you don't send Christmas greetings to everyone in your family, all your friends, and everyone else you know, you're a Scrooge or a Grinch.

I've been wishing Merry Christmas to people myself for the last week — although I usually stick to “Happy Holidays!” until I get an indication of whether "Merry Christmas" "Happy Deepavali" or "Have a good Hari Raya" is appropriate.

This morning I found myself wondering, "Why do we just *wish* that people have a good Christmas?" Sure– good wishes– even from a stranger, usually brighten up anyone's day. We give gifts, too. We do kind things for the poor. Whatever we can afford. But all that wishing … begins to sound a bit wistful.

There's been a sign up in some buses this month: “Give experiences instead of stuff.” The traditional experiences of Christmas are visiting loved ones,hugging, eating, baking, drinking, caroling, partying, exchanging presents, enjoying the sight of seasonal decorations and lights, and in some areas of the world the seasonal carousel or sleigh ride or community ice skating. Most of it's over the next day except for the leftover turkey and at least some of the toys (in my experience, the simpler and hardier ones last longer) and the Fruitcake That Will Not Die.

How many times do you get to give someone a life-changing experience for Christmas? Most of us would like to do that. Most of us think we can't afford to; don't know anyone with a need we are capable of filling, that would change their lives; it seems that we've already spent  all the energy we have to keep our own lives. I think that's because there's never been as concerted a marketing campaign for "change your world" as there has been for "consume your world."

But maybe this Christmas, we can learn to start and do things differently. We don’t need to make it a behemoth start, no. We can at least make one baby step at a time. And what is the best way to start it but with our family. In my case, it’s fulfilling promises I have given. And of course we can always give a free smile, a handy hand to old women loading her groceries to the car, or giving your taxi to someone who is rushing more than you do, or simply calling a lonely friend and envite him for the dinner or Noche Buena tonight. Maybe one of those things might change a life. You don't always know. One effect is certain, though, of doing one or more of them, cuts down a lot on the wistfulness of wishing a Merry Christmas, because you know this time, it really does come from the heart.

I will be traveling with my family from Boxing Day so I won't be able to answer your comments maybe until the New Year. So in case I won't be around until then, here's wishing all of you an unwistful Merry Christmas and a Better life come New Year.

Images: Jean's Christmas Tree(top); My old and battered travelling bag (above)