Yes it's October and and yes, it's seething everywhere....
Don't you just hate it? Christmas, that is.
First of all, it comes every year without fail. In spite of fortuitous events like typhoons, floods, economic crisis, death of a family member, Christmas will arrive uninvited. We are not given a break from it.
It is okay if it is a simple holiday like May 1's Labor Day. One can sleep the whole day and not give a thought on labor and its concerns. One is not obligated to wear black or red as a sign of protest against the government's pro-employer policies. But Christmas is different. A few months before it arrives, you already feel its foreboding presence. The radio is bombarded with the old-time favorite songs that I feel sick to my stomach everytime I hear "Silver Bells" and little Michael Jackson's rendition of "Santa Claus is Coming to Town". There are some contemporary Christmas songs but they make me vomit -- especially the overplayed "Christmas in Our Hearts" of Jose Mari Chan.
The Christmas lights annoy me. We Filipinos have this habit of being artistic without much thought on the end-result. Look at houses decorated by Christmas lights that have no color scheme and no pattern at all. Even the poor trees are not spared. The Christmas lights are coiled around tree barks that give the appearance that the trees are being choked by artificial fireflies.
But the thing I hate most about Christmas is the obligations expected from us. Christmas is the time for family reunions. One day of non-sensical tete a tete with relatives from nearby and from afar. One day of gift-giving and cash-giving. All my Christmas bonus gone in a day! That's Christmas for you. People always want money.
There is also the Christmas carols. Children, teenagers and even adults (with their complementary letter) have their 'sideline' in Christmas carollings. We do not invite then to our houses, they just choose our houses and sing their carols. And they expect us to give them money for their songs! Where is the spirit of Christmas there? And as if their songs are that tolerable to the ears! Even our dogs can't help but bark their annoyance!
In almost every corner of the city, one will meet a child who will beg and make you feel guilty if you did not give him/her anything, saying "Maluoy ka maam. Pasko bitaw!" And most of them are handled by cruel syndicates who get those coins from these poor children. Should one give the children or not?
What is there to be happy with Christmas? The religious connotation of Christmas have long faded. The birth of Jesus Christ is no longer the center of the celebration. What replaced Jesus? Good food, gifts, lots of money. Even the children of today think of Santa Claus and his gifts as reward for their good behavior.
I used to love Christmas when I was a child. Now I know Christmas for what it is: it is a fraud and an impostor. It killed the original Christmas. But few people realize it.
Don't you just hate it? Christmas, that is.
First of all, it comes every year without fail. In spite of fortuitous events like typhoons, floods, economic crisis, death of a family member, Christmas will arrive uninvited. We are not given a break from it.
It is okay if it is a simple holiday like May 1's Labor Day. One can sleep the whole day and not give a thought on labor and its concerns. One is not obligated to wear black or red as a sign of protest against the government's pro-employer policies. But Christmas is different. A few months before it arrives, you already feel its foreboding presence. The radio is bombarded with the old-time favorite songs that I feel sick to my stomach everytime I hear "Silver Bells" and little Michael Jackson's rendition of "Santa Claus is Coming to Town". There are some contemporary Christmas songs but they make me vomit -- especially the overplayed "Christmas in Our Hearts" of Jose Mari Chan.
The Christmas lights annoy me. We Filipinos have this habit of being artistic without much thought on the end-result. Look at houses decorated by Christmas lights that have no color scheme and no pattern at all. Even the poor trees are not spared. The Christmas lights are coiled around tree barks that give the appearance that the trees are being choked by artificial fireflies.
But the thing I hate most about Christmas is the obligations expected from us. Christmas is the time for family reunions. One day of non-sensical tete a tete with relatives from nearby and from afar. One day of gift-giving and cash-giving. All my Christmas bonus gone in a day! That's Christmas for you. People always want money.
There is also the Christmas carols. Children, teenagers and even adults (with their complementary letter) have their 'sideline' in Christmas carollings. We do not invite then to our houses, they just choose our houses and sing their carols. And they expect us to give them money for their songs! Where is the spirit of Christmas there? And as if their songs are that tolerable to the ears! Even our dogs can't help but bark their annoyance!
In almost every corner of the city, one will meet a child who will beg and make you feel guilty if you did not give him/her anything, saying "Maluoy ka maam. Pasko bitaw!" And most of them are handled by cruel syndicates who get those coins from these poor children. Should one give the children or not?
What is there to be happy with Christmas? The religious connotation of Christmas have long faded. The birth of Jesus Christ is no longer the center of the celebration. What replaced Jesus? Good food, gifts, lots of money. Even the children of today think of Santa Claus and his gifts as reward for their good behavior.
I used to love Christmas when I was a child. Now I know Christmas for what it is: it is a fraud and an impostor. It killed the original Christmas. But few people realize it.
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