by Andrew May

Now if you’re under the age of 10, Christmas is all about Santa, cool presents and endless playing during the holidays.

Yet for many adults modern-day Christmas is synonymous with holiday traffic, credit card debt, tension with family members and stuffing ourselves with food to the point where we explode.

But what is the true meaning of Christmas? For Christians of course it is steeped in tradition, remembering the birth of Jesus and celebrating the incarnation. While I am a Catholic (even though my mum wants me to go to church a whole lot more than I do), I believe Christmas is a lot more than just presents, or pigging out on food, or merely ticking the box by attending church.

In essence, it doesn’t matter whether you are Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, Hindu or Muslim - the true meaning is Christmas provides us with an opportunity to celebrate hope and the spirit of mankind. Be nice to other people, be generous (you can do this without buying expensive presents) and give to those less fortunate than you. More than 10 years ago when living in Hobart I remember buying a homeless man a roast chicken and giving it to him for Christmas lunch. The smile on his face and the warmth of his handshake stays with me to this day.

Let’s try and forget about all of the commercialism and stress that is often associated with Christmas and be thankful for what we have in this world.

“Peace on earth, good will toward man”. Merry Christmas!

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