My Christmas Post

Okay Tis the Season to be Jolly... Christmas time is here. And once again all the shopping malls try to outdo each other with the decorations, Christmas trees, Snowmen, Santas and reindeers, hot Santarinas and candy canes and carolling tunes blasting for the world to hear. Literally every shopping mall I step into has turned into a Winter Wonderland. Okay in America it’s cold. This is Malaysia. What winter? We're just really unoriginal in commercialising Christmas.

And I’m very sure the Malaysian kids who grow up with all this Snowman and White Christmas rubbish get really confused because in actual natural reality, there’s never any snow... but they don’t realise what they've experienced was the air-cond, white cotton and Indian Santa Clause with koko jelly or something.

Characters of the shopping mall Christmas.

Ask any kid or teenager what comes to mind, when they think about Christmas and the answer will be presents! Santa Clause! Snow!! (even from the Malaysian kids =.=”) christmas tree!

Sadly, none of this is actually what Christmas is about.

Christmas is when Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus. That’s it.

 No Santa.

 No reindeer.

No sexy chicks giving out candy. 

Presents!!!!!

When we were really young, we watched the kids on television getting presents that Santa clause gave them, a surprise! We loved surprises. So my siblings and I begged our parents to surprise us one year with whatever gifts they could think of. It was so exciting. Everyday I fantasized getting a Baby doll that could eat from a spoon or a brand new masak-masak set!

On Christmas morning, we rushed ran STAMPEDED down the stairs and under the tree were some pencil boxes, a ball and a stack of chairs...

Apparently, the pressure of individualised gifts was too much. After that, we insisted on choosing or own presents, so my dad gave us each RM 35 to spend. At the time, we felt like we inherited a million bucks or something...at least I did. =D=D

The crib.

More important than the Christmas tree is the crib or the nativity set which is a model of a manger(place where the cows ate) where Jesus was born. We put it up to remember his humble beginnings with his family where Mary gave birth in a smelly manger because there were no available rooms around.

When we were younger, my dad used to make one every year instead of buying the set from the shop. He would cut out a cardboard box and make two floors, and we would collect dry grass from the playground nearby for hay in the manger. He would make a hole in the cardboard roof and fit a light bulb through giving the stable a warm glow. 

After we got older he stopped and told us to start doing it. I have made the crib twice, and probably am going to do it this year as well. You see, the crib often is put second or forgot about in the rush of decorating the house and the tree with mistletoe, wreaths and bells. Not good, because, baby Jesus won’t have a place to be born and it is his birthday after all.

Most importantly, Christmas to me is about family and being together with loved ones to share the joy of Jesus’ birth. Whether we sit around watching television, or just eat, or put up the tree, it has to be done with the family...then my Christmas would be awesome.

Last but not least,  

A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU!