Since the beginning of time, or at least, since humans realized that the days were shorter and the nights longer, in the winter, we have celebrated the winter solstice. Different cultures have recognized the time as a rebirth, of sorts, and celebrated with holidays and festivals.
For centuries, different cultures have commemorated the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem with a holiday occurring near the winter solstice. And other cultures have celebrated the birth of the Christ Child in a manger, in a stable, in the Middle East. More recently, it has become a time to honor African-American heritage and culture.
In a song, it’s the most wonderful time of the year. Yet, that’s hard for some to accept. Was it wonderful when loved ones were thousands of miles away, in harm’s way, fighting a war? Was it wonderful in 1929 when the Stock Market had just crashed? Is it wonderful today, with double digit unemployment? It’s double digit where I live, anyway….
Ah, and the nightly news does nothing to make things merry and bright, does it? Unspeakable crimes, political shenanigans, death, destruction and despair rule the airwaves, it seems. Just yesterday, there was a story about a small town north of Podunk, where all the toys donated to make Christmas “merry” for needy children were stolen….
Tonight, on the news, they showed the long line of cars full of people waiting to donate toys to replace those that were stolen. It’s a small town, but the donators came from towns all over the valley in an attempt to replace more than 3000 toys in just 24 hours.
It was uplifting to watch families with children bringing toys to donate to other, less fortunate children. What a wonderful lesson to teach all of us: it is better to give than to receive…. And tomorrow, the celebration will go on as planned: free hot meal, gifts for the children, and 65 cubic yards of shipped-in snow to help make Christmas merry and bright.
Of course, there are Secret Santas at work all over this country right now. Some have paid off layaways at Kmart stores so children can have Christmas after all. And others are paying for tanks of gas for amazed gas station customers. Still others have taken toys to children in hospitals, or gifts to the elderly in nursing homes.
Perhaps the spirit of the season is still alive and well, despite the economy. Perhaps there truly is hope for this little blue marble we live on. Perhaps man’s inhumanity to man has a noble opponent in those who would commit kindnesses to others without expecting anything in return….
Perhaps the spirit of Christmas, Hanukah, Kwanzaa, Winter Solstice, or whatever you choose to call it, is alive and well.
And this world isn’t all bad….
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