So now this is Christmas

Christmas again. It's come, and it's gone again... I've never been too fond of the celebration itself, but at least I don't hate it openly. When I was a child, what I used to like more about all this was the feelings I got. To think about setting up the Christmas tree and decorating it, as well as the rest of the living room... I found that really thrilling. On these occasions we were visited by relatives and that meant I could play with my cousins... we could go outside, where it was cold and dark but it was just great! Of course I'm telling you about Christmas in a small village; how much do I miss the feel of safety and peacefulness you used to enjoy in such places! After Christmas's Eve's dinner, the children used to form groups and tour the village's houses, singing carols (only if we were asked to; we didn't want to waste our precious voices) or just plainly asking for sweets or whatever we could get. It was fun. Sadly, no children do that nowadays in my village, or at least they can't do it now like we used to. TV is bombarding us everyday with news of rape, murder, kidnapping and violence, and that has taken its toll. There is a sense of fear that has got a grip of everyone; village dwellers aren't an exception.

Christmas used to be, in a sense, purer. It had a more religious feeling about it (I'm not religious at all, but I preferred it that way), it was more about sharing and being with your family. Today, Christmas means having to buy Christmas gifts, cost what it may. It's the most important thing of Christmas season, there's nothing beyond it. I hate that. Year after year, they start sooner and sooner putting Christmas-related commercials on TV, half of them about toys and the other half about perfumes. And anything is potentially a Christmas gift!! On top of that, in Spain we have another problem: traditionally, gifts were brought by The Three Wise Men on the night of the fifth of January, but today we are hard pressed on giving presents on Christmas night. The thing is, there's no official preference to either date, so children expect both Santa Claus and The Three Wise Men to bring them presents!! It's just madness. When I was a child, I'd have been happy enough to believe on any of these guys, but I wasn't given the chance. I was just told that I would get a present on the fifth of January (of course, my behaviour had been flawless), and on such a date my parents would take me to the toy shop and ask me: "what would you like?". That was all about it. As I grew up, I eventually stopped asking for a present; I found it ridiculous. A birthday present made much more sense than that.

Anyway, as I said before, I don't hate Christmas. There's something about these days that I still find charming; I don't know exactly what, but charming after all. I still take pleasure in writing Christmas cards, though hardly anyone answers them... one day, physical Christmas cards will disappear as well, I'm sure about that. Never mind; as long as we have TV and Christmas gifts, we can count on celebrating this special date for the rest of our lives. What is it it commemorates, the birth of some famous guy?

PS. Merry Christmas!