Far too early each Christmas morning I’d sit by the fireplace in our small one-bedroom house, eager for parents to awaken and see what Santa had brought.
One of my dad’s old work socks, now a bulging stocking, hung by that unlit fireplace promising treats like oranges, maybe some candy and …
I’ve never lost my passion for the enchantment and magic associated with Christmas, while I fully respect that, for many, Christmas is not a celebrated occasion. Indeed, the popular reduction of Merry Christmas to a phrase like “Happy Holidays” to accommodate those of other faiths is fine with me.
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And I fully respect the diversity of our country which brings us so many fascinating moments to celebrate festive occasions.
We are a country that is richer by our diversity. I’m sure that many of the most significant qualities of Christmas, such as love and charity, are shared by many in other communities.
But mine is not a discourse on faith.
My passion for Christmas is because I can adorn it with respect for others who may also enjoy Christmas but for entirely different reasons.
Christmas is when we should turn our attention not only to self but to family and to community and to humanity. There is magic to Christmas.
One Christmas eve when our young daughters were finally asleep, Santa arrived. With a long strip of wood, sleigh runner marks were implanted on the snowy front porch (we lacked a chimney). A frozen carrot was gnawed and cookies consumed and some milk sipped.
The gifts for the children were then laid beneath our real Christmas tree and we retired to sleep.
But then — a clatter outdoors and the bark of the neighbour’s dog. We lay in the dark, laughed, and allowed our imaginations to tinker with the idea that “maybe, just maybe, there was a Santa!”
The magic of Christmas.
Expressions of love and the sharing of greetings and gifts. It is as if the magic could last well beyond those few precious and wonderful days when we have an opportunity to explore life and the lives of others. Sometimes that journey into reality takes us to places we might otherwise wish to avoid.
Christmas is one occasion to remember those truly in need. From lonely older adults to those struggling with homelessness and addictions and fear. To recognize that for many of us Christmas is a respite. A brief opportunity to enjoy friendship and family and to care.
Yet that respite — that temporary escape from reality — needs to be balanced with horrible wars in Ukraine and Gaza and Sudan. As we celebrate our Christmas it is worth recalling that the world is far from the perfect place we might imagine. The child sitting by that cold fireplace is haunted by children mutilated and families destroyed by war and for no other reason than that they dwell in a country less safe, less secure than our Canada.
Even in Ontario there is so much need. Wonderful organizations such as the Salvation Army, Goodfellows, the Downtown Mission and many more charitable groups need our attention.
Community food banks and organizations providing food and shelter warrant support such as we are able to offer. Apparently, Canadians are not donating as generously in 2023 as they did a year or two ago. Understandable but regrettable.
For many Canadians themselves struggling with inflated home, fuel and food prices this Christmas will be challenging. Nonetheless, let us also acknowledge that, no matter how much we may complain, we should still — to the best of our resources — find our respective ways to support charities such as the Red Cross and Doctors Without Borders, organizations that take respect for humanity seriously.
Methinks there is a real meaning to Christmas and that is respect for others and their dreams and hopes. To imagine a better world and to live with that imagination and hope.
Canada is a wonderful place to live, and devoting a few moments reflecting upon our favourable condition and finding means to help and respect others seems to me to be a meaningful Christmas.
Lloyd Brown-John is a University of Windsor professor emeritus of political science. He can be reached at lbj@uwindsor.ca.
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Brown-John: Are we forgetting the meaning of Christmas?
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23.12.2023
Far too early each Christmas morning I’d sit by the fireplace in our small one-bedroom house, eager for parents to awaken and see what Santa had brought.
One of my dad’s old work socks, now a bulging stocking, hung by that unlit fireplace promising treats like oranges, maybe some candy and …
I’ve never lost my passion for the enchantment and magic associated with Christmas, while I fully respect that, for many, Christmas is not a celebrated occasion. Indeed, the popular reduction of Merry Christmas to a phrase like “Happy Holidays” to accommodate those of other faiths is fine with me.
Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.
Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.
Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.
Don't have an account? Create Account
And I fully respect the diversity of our country which brings us so many fascinating moments to celebrate festive occasions.
We are a country that is richer by our diversity. I’m sure that many of the most significant qualities of Christmas, such as love and charity, are shared by many in other communities.
But mine is not a discourse on faith.
My passion for........
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