i am finally going to see my dear and some quality time together. YAY! hahah finally i waited so long, and i currently baking something for him. hehehez
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oh do you know christmas has absolutely nothing to do with christians. especially all those merry making bits, all the nonsense about christmas is all about giving. for those less informed and not so well read, two thousand years ago, this was the very kind of celebration that alarmed the early christian church, which was disgusted with the cheer and merriment that marked the pagan festivals of their new converts. at first, the church forbade this kind of celebration. but it was to no avail. the christian “christmas” celebration was invented to compete against the pagan celebrations of december. The 25th was not only sacred to the romans, but also to the persians ? whose religion, mithraism, was one of christianity’s main rivals then.

the church was successful eventually in taking the merriment, lights and gifts from the pagan festival and bringing them to the celebration of christmas. quite alive in modern singapore, though its traditional impulses are designed unreservedly to promote happiness, goodwill and social bonhomie. for some, the christmas period is still a religious festival and the churches will see an upsurge in attendance for this one day.

the history of celebrating the end of the year or of a cycle dates back to more than 4,000 years. Many of the christmas traditions were celebrated centuries before jesus christ was born. The 12 days of christmas, the bright fires, the yule log, the giving of gifts, carnivals, parades with floats, carollers who sing while going from house to house, the holiday feasts and the church processions can all be traced back to the early mesopotamians.

there are many ? the starving, the abused, the parents of those dead or facing death in war zones, the jobless ? for whom it will be the unhappiest and the loneliest time of the year. for many who have seen the horrors of war and genocide, christmas and the new Year will mean very little except sadness. christmas is the season of hope for peace and goodwill. Maybe, just maybe, the christian world will pause to ponder the real meaning (to bring peace on earth and joy to the world) of christ's birth.

credit to constance singam