When you hear the word ‘Christmas’, what images instantly come to mind? Perhaps you love the mince pies, the songs, the decorations or enjoy sending and receiving cards and gifts. I don’t know about you, but I find the commercialisation of Christmas seems to start earlier and earlier each year, with the shops selling us the ‘perfect Christmas’ in a wide variety of guises and forms. The rise of social media seems to make the commercial noise around Christmas so much louder and persistent than ever before, telling us how to celebrate, what to wear, what to eat and drink, and what to watch and buy. If we are not careful, the commercialisation brings a weight of expectation that takes over the true meaning.
I can remember, as a new Trading Standards Officer, helping with seasonal turkey weighing in the run-up to Christmas to ensure that the weights stated were accurate. Another professional memory I have is being sent a video from a Christmas party where a member of staff in a bar filled up a bottle of gin with water and then placed it back on the shelf with the others. Ordinarily, we would try to avoid any routine work in the catering and hospitality trade during the festive season knowing that it’s their busy time and this would hinder the ability to undertake the work.
However, in this case, having seen the clear-cut evidence of potential adulteration of the alcohol, we were left with no choice but to go in and see what was going on. On arrival, the bar was absolutely heaving, and we had to fight our way to get to the bar and to be heard by the bar staff and manager. When we checked the bottle in question, it was indeed filled with water but was only being used as a part of a display, along with other bottles that were filled in a similar manner. In effect, they were dummies and decoys being used to try to prevent theft from the premises, with the actual bottles used to serve being stored out of easy reach of customers.
For me, this reinforced that at Christmas the pressure to provide material goods can cause businesses to cut corners or lead customers to take actions they wouldn’t do ordinarily. We can be so busy with the acquisition of things to have and things to give, that we forget the message of Christmas began in a manger; humble and unassuming. Is an inherent part of this season and it is right that we should remember those that have far less than we do. In the hustle and bustle of this time it can be easy for us all to forget what we already have and may take for granted. As the saying goes, “You have what somebody else is praying for.” I often have to remind myself of this.
Whilst it can be hard to resist the bombardment of messages about what Christmas should look like, there is value in taking a moment to hush the noise of the season and look around to see what Christmas looks like for your fellow human beings elsewhere in your village or town, or other parts of the country or world. The core messages of this season are of hope and love and joy; a simple, random act of kindness such as donating something to a food or hygiene bank could really pass that message on to those who need it most. Maybe instead of giving physical gifts, we could consider giving gifts of time or support to somebody who needs it? Do you have a space at your table for someone who finds Christmas the loneliest time of the year? Something like this is likely to make a lasting impact and could outlive the physical gifts we usually exchange.
As a Christian, I can also be swept up by the pressure to deliver someone else’s definition of what Christmas should look like, which is at odds with the humble scene described for us in the Bible. A baby in a manger, in a stable, in an obscure village, under a sky filled with stars. There was no fanfare beforehand, and the preparations were an arduous, long journey made on foot and on the back of a donkey. The shepherds brought no gifts, other than words of adoration, and Mary was storing and treasuring the memories of this time in her heart.
When we look back on Christmases past, what do we really remember and recall? Maybe remembering the nativity play you were in or saw as a child, or a funny tale of something that happened around the dinner table. Some memories may be heartwarming, some poignant and some may be tinged with sadness as we remember those who are no longer at the table.
The memories and the stories from Christmas are often the things that we cherish and hold dearest the most, not the trimmings, the decorations or the wrapping. Whilst these things are lovely and can be a way that we show love and joy this Christmas, let us not forget what we already have and the beautiful simplicity of that first Christmas. Maybe the biggest gift is one that we can give to ourselves; taking the pressure off ourselves, sharing what we have, enjoying where we are and the time we have been given.
