Merry Christmas From Around The World
So, I'm at work and while at my desk I hear people walking to and fro in the hallway and hear them humming to themselves, usually a Christmas Carol. People are so easily happy and it is more than tradition and commercialism that made them so. Somewhere even in the secular customs that have emerged from a sacred symbol, it worked. Like it was supposed to. People are so easily and genuinely happy at Christmas. Except, I'm sure, for ACLU types.
Speaking of ACLU. Every year our town, with tax money, celebrates Christmas in its Central Park. Every year you feel like you stole a right and managed one more before the ACLU chases Santa off. The city gets away with it partly because it displays the more secular, holiday era symbols, Rudolf, Santa, Christmas trees, etc. Has a hayride, hot chocolate, but still, even then, it does have that Christmas tree and calls the whole thing, Christmas in the Park, which is also displayed in big, bright, bold, and probably too happy, lights. So, we still have to worry about the ACLU.
But until then and their intolerance, you meet so many wonderful tolerant people there. Including Moslems, Hindus, Jews, and Agnostics. It's just a happy, happy, joyous time, whose spirit is still directly and indirectly linked to the original manger in Bethlehem over 2,000 years ago. Somehow, in spite of religious wars and bigotry, something good came from all of that too, like was meant to be.
When I meet non-Christians at Christmas every year, I also have my memories of being somewhere in my life, in their country. I also loved sharing their customs and major religious celebrations. The ones by the private and secular segments.
I was in Pakistan once and on national television saw, as like an advertisement, film from an annual pilgrimmage to Mecca, a segment where tens of thousands of people marched around the kabba stone. It was incredibly touching and inspiring. In India, I saw their state taxes put to such a tv type ad of religious celebration that was Hindu oriented. Jewish such when I was in Israel.
When I lived in Israel actually, I worked on a kibbutz. They made a bargain with us Americans and Europeans. They would let us take Christmas off and we would do the minimal chores for them on some of their holidays. It sounded good, but they expected the American Jews to work on Christmas also, but the American and European Jews also wanted Christmas off, from their tradition of celebrating it back in their homeland. It wasn't the work, they just loved Christmas, nativity scene and all, as much as Christians in their homeland. It's called appreciation, and tolerance. Respect. Not jihad.
We have a Christian from India that works with us. Two percent of India is Christian. Most rather recent converts, many this generation, many from British Raj days, but in her case, and thousands of others, hers dating all the way back to St. Thomas of the Bible. St. Thomas, legend has it, historians believe to have some truth to it, was beheaded in India. He is like their patron saint. He entered in the north through Kashmere, but in her case, she is from the southern tip.
I asked her yesterday how they celebrate Christmas. They have Christmas trees too. They don't chop theirs down and of course it isn't a pine tree. But they wrap it with crepe type paper and put balloons throughout. They feast on Indian food, they sing carols.
I lived in Switzerland eleven years and a very small percent of the population is practicing Christian anymore. It seemed easily over half the country was even skeptical. But they decorate, the celebrate, they sing, they exchange gifts. It is far more than commercialism and tradition too. It's Christmas spirit, even if the commercialism exists along side of it.
The true Christ spirit is hard to deny in your life no matter how it got through to you. Even if you are an unbeliever and don't trace it's origins.
I love this whole time of year. And I will say, it absolutely gives me hope for mankind.
You did okay Joseph and Mary. And Jesus is there, even if you don't see Him.
Speaking of ACLU. Every year our town, with tax money, celebrates Christmas in its Central Park. Every year you feel like you stole a right and managed one more before the ACLU chases Santa off. The city gets away with it partly because it displays the more secular, holiday era symbols, Rudolf, Santa, Christmas trees, etc. Has a hayride, hot chocolate, but still, even then, it does have that Christmas tree and calls the whole thing, Christmas in the Park, which is also displayed in big, bright, bold, and probably too happy, lights. So, we still have to worry about the ACLU.
But until then and their intolerance, you meet so many wonderful tolerant people there. Including Moslems, Hindus, Jews, and Agnostics. It's just a happy, happy, joyous time, whose spirit is still directly and indirectly linked to the original manger in Bethlehem over 2,000 years ago. Somehow, in spite of religious wars and bigotry, something good came from all of that too, like was meant to be.
When I meet non-Christians at Christmas every year, I also have my memories of being somewhere in my life, in their country. I also loved sharing their customs and major religious celebrations. The ones by the private and secular segments.
I was in Pakistan once and on national television saw, as like an advertisement, film from an annual pilgrimmage to Mecca, a segment where tens of thousands of people marched around the kabba stone. It was incredibly touching and inspiring. In India, I saw their state taxes put to such a tv type ad of religious celebration that was Hindu oriented. Jewish such when I was in Israel.
When I lived in Israel actually, I worked on a kibbutz. They made a bargain with us Americans and Europeans. They would let us take Christmas off and we would do the minimal chores for them on some of their holidays. It sounded good, but they expected the American Jews to work on Christmas also, but the American and European Jews also wanted Christmas off, from their tradition of celebrating it back in their homeland. It wasn't the work, they just loved Christmas, nativity scene and all, as much as Christians in their homeland. It's called appreciation, and tolerance. Respect. Not jihad.
We have a Christian from India that works with us. Two percent of India is Christian. Most rather recent converts, many this generation, many from British Raj days, but in her case, and thousands of others, hers dating all the way back to St. Thomas of the Bible. St. Thomas, legend has it, historians believe to have some truth to it, was beheaded in India. He is like their patron saint. He entered in the north through Kashmere, but in her case, she is from the southern tip.
I asked her yesterday how they celebrate Christmas. They have Christmas trees too. They don't chop theirs down and of course it isn't a pine tree. But they wrap it with crepe type paper and put balloons throughout. They feast on Indian food, they sing carols.
I lived in Switzerland eleven years and a very small percent of the population is practicing Christian anymore. It seemed easily over half the country was even skeptical. But they decorate, the celebrate, they sing, they exchange gifts. It is far more than commercialism and tradition too. It's Christmas spirit, even if the commercialism exists along side of it.
The true Christ spirit is hard to deny in your life no matter how it got through to you. Even if you are an unbeliever and don't trace it's origins.
I love this whole time of year. And I will say, it absolutely gives me hope for mankind.
You did okay Joseph and Mary. And Jesus is there, even if you don't see Him.
posted by CottonSr @ 5:10 AM
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