The tale of the lost Christmases

Christmas is like love that defies definition. It evokes a multitude of emotions arising from a breathless anticipation of surprises that wrapped packages and homecomings create. It is the presence of family belongingness, of blood kinship that fills the heart with paramount joy and satisfaction. Because unless Christmas is shared with those you love in abundance, then there is no meaning in the ritual of the Holy Nativity.

Christmas celebrations have changed through the years and for more than half the population of this world, the earlier Christmases were more authentic and family-oriented. It did not matter that the Christmas table was not filled with an array of delicious foods one only sees on such occasions, or that the stockings hanged by the bedside only had a few candies and cookies. Happiness exceeded the poverty of allowable choices.

There is a deep nostalgia among those who remember how Christmases were happier then, because of the children's voices filling the room, their running feet echoing the corridors and their laughters and giggles overwhelming the silence of the night. Santa Claus was real to the children, a beautiful tale told and re-told through the ages.

Today, many of the Christmas tales handed down from generations before have all died. They were killed by the real time powers of the television, the Internet, the mobile phones and the digital cameras. There are no more tales to tell and no more visiting Santa Clauses. Yes, the children have become adults too soon, to care about tales from a distant past they cannot relate to.

These days of highly sophisticated technology, family reunions especially on Christmas eve can easily be replaced by digitalised appearances on the Internet. There is no longer that strong feeling of wanting to be home with parents and siblings because absence can be bridged by a digital presence. This is a reality that parents are trying to understand and accept about their children whose lifestyles have changed dramatically. Probably there are still many who follow the tradition, but in general the old ways of Christmas celebration are dead and gone. #