Written by: Lavanya Sri
The Eaton Center, it’s packed to the rim. Yorkdale, forget it, you’d think they were giving away free merchandise. Scarborough Town Center, don’t even think about finding a parking spot.
Unless you have been hiding under a rock for the last month, it would have been hard to ignore the bells, whistles and decorations alluding to the coming of Christmas. Christmas, in today’s modern world, has come to mean something that is easily packaged, and fits neatly under a tree.
Before I continue, I want to make something clear, I love getting presents. I’m not even going to pretend I don’t enjoy the sound of ripping through gift-wrap, or the sound of bubble wrap, shopping for presents, or reading thoughtful messages on cards. I’m a consumer too, and I grew up in the commercialized culture of Christmas too.
But this Christmas, I (un) fortunately found myself in a predicament I have never found myself before any Christmas. I was maxed out on my cards, and had very little to spend on anything. Now, many of you may think that this isn’t a good thing, but let me tell you why it turned out to be a lot more amazing than I thought.
Now, the origins of Christmas have been debated till death, and I don’t want to get into it. I’m not interested in theology, and have absolute interest in being so. While some say that Christmas marks the birth of Jesus Christ, others point out that over 4000 years ago, the Mesopotamians celebrated a 12-day festival each New Year called Zagmuth (which many people now say is where the 12-days of Christmas actually originated from). Others say the ancient Romans held the festival Saturnalia, in honour of their God Saturn, where Romans decorated their homes with trees and candles and feasted away.
I don’t know where the origins are, and that may be a topic of someone else’s interest. But the point is, Christmas may hold a different meaning for different people, and I think I’ve found a meaning that works for me this year.
I usually write up a long list of what to get whom, and think hard about the likes and tastes of each individual, to the point that I get stressed out and anxious. It almost feels like a huge weight on my shoulders to get the ‘perfect gift’ that I loose the whole point of why I’m getting a gift in the first place. I’m getting them a gift as a token of appreciation, as an act of kindness, and to make them happy. It’s shown that giving gifts actually makes us happier than getting gifts, and maybe, I’ve been happy doing so. But, some years, I’ve found myself completely frustrated with wondering what to get, or with complete disappointment and a feeling of failure when the recipient doesn’t show the same level of enthusiasm as I had in choosing it and gifting it. So, feelings get hurt.
But this Christmas, none of that. I sat and thought about my list, and shortened it; I decided to let everyone know instead how important he or she is to me. I mean, I love my parents and siblings, but I’m a shy person, and not an emotions person, so I never tell them how much they mean to me. Or my friends, I just don’t openly declare my friendship and care for them. I mean, the truth is, the material things have a lifespan, and slowly they deteriorate. But, the things someone says to you, they’ll stick, and they’ll pick you up through the rough times. And, so this year, I gave my loved ones the gift of gratitude and appreciation.
I got each person a material gift, much smaller and less than I would have gotten any previous years, but I gave them also a card, a card in which I expressed to them my appreciation for their presence in my life, and for the qualities I most admired in them. Writing these cards was the true lesson, it made me reflect on the importance of these people in my life, and made me realize that these people would understand whether I got them the perfect gift or not. In the end, it’s not about the gifts under tree, but it’s about the people in your lives.
I found the true meaning of Christmas, it’s to give, it’s to give from your heart, it’s to let people know they matter to you, it’s to see the importance and value of the loved ones in your lives, and it’s to remind yourself that despite the hardships that come throughout the year, if have a handful of people who love you at the end of the year, then, you’re blessed.
Merry Christmas!
Tags: Appreciation, Christmas, Family, Gratitude, Holidays, Lavanya, Presents, Speak Out
