Christmas is surely the most special time of the year. It is surely my most favourite time of the year and the period I spend most of my time remembering fond memories from my childhood.
My parents made such a big effort during our childhood to keep the magic of Christmas alive for my brother, Wayne, and I. We were firm believers in Santa Clause for many of our childhood years. I will always be thankful to my parents for their special gift of making Christmas such a magical time for us.
As Christians we celebrated the birth of Jesus Christ during Christmas and my parents made sure to teach us the true meaning of Christmas. To this day Christmas is still an auspicious religious festival for Christians everywhere and my family and I observe the true meaning of Christmas.
I teach my children that this is a time of thanksgiving, hope, love and joy. All these elements are celebrated by getting together to following traditional practices that include: preparation of food, exchanging gifts, and enjoying quality time with family and friends.
The merriment of Christmas has a long history and it is believed to bring goodwill for all who participate. For many residents, Christmas is unfortunately not a magical season, as they don’t have a home and can’t spend some good moments with their family and friends due to their situation.
We need to think of those less fortunate than us and collectively do something for the homeless, the hungry and the poor. Let’s bridge the gap in our community this Christmas and do something for someone in need. I would encourage every one to just take a few minutes to identify a need in our community and act on that need. It may be a gift, a food parcel or even just a visit to the Alberton Home of the Aged that can make a difference in someone else’s life this Christmas.
If you only manage to do one thing, please donate a toy or a gift for a child in need. My Christmas wish for our community this year is “that the miracle of Christmas fill everyone with love and compassion. Christmas is a time for giving and sharing, but also of loving and forgiveness. May the love of our Lord and Saviour heal us and restore us, and may the New Year bring an abundance of joy and peace.” Please email your Christmas wishes to me at Diamond.Neil@ekurhuleni.gov.za.
