By Sabrina Sweeney
Christmas can be a funny old time of the year, full of contradictions.
I’ve spoken to so many people over the last couple of weeks, all saying they wish for a return to a more relaxed time, with more energy left to enjoy the build up to the festivities.
There was a time when things wound down in the week or two before Christmas.
But these days instead of slowing down it seems as though we get busier and are all a bit burnt out by the time December 25 arrives.
I often long for some of the old Christmas spirit, where gathering together to sing Christmas carols, to drink hot chocolate and mulled wine and eat mince pies, made us all feel happy and content.
I must admit that in this age of high commercialisation, of relentless marketing and influencing and a reliance on instant gratification and quantity over quality, I feel a certain affinity with the Grinch at times. Considering the bad wrap he gets, I admit that very cautiously.
But hear me out.
Ever since the success of Dr Seuss’ 1957 children’s book ‘How The Grinch Stole Christmas’ and the release of subsequent movies of the same theme, a Grinch has been thought of as someone who hates Christmas. Even the dictionary defines a “Grinch” as someone who is mean-spirited.
I love Christmas, I love the carols, drinking mulled wine, buying cute and thoughtful gifts and spending time with family and friends.
It’s the consumerism of Christmas, the over emphasis on materialism, that I find harder to enjoy with each year that comes around.
Even the Grinch realised that Christmas wasn’t just about the presents. “Maybe Christmas,” he thought, “doesn’t come from a store? Maybe Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more?”
He came to realise that Christmas is about being present in each other’s company, spending time with one another, and being kind.
I love gifting and receiving as much as the next person, but the best parts of Christmas are not about the endless – and what can at times feel like frenzied – shopping and materialism.
Rather, the best bits of Christmas give out a warm and fuzzy feeling, a state of mind that is focused on spreading joy and happiness, a spirit within that compels us to think about others, to be kind and compassionate beyond what we would normally be.
Those are the things that make Christmas special.
For many, Christmas will be a time of coming together, of giving and sharing with family and friends. But that spirit of kindness doesn’t have to be limited to those we know.
Reaching out beyond our circle to help people we don’t know, or those who may be finding life tough around this time for whatever reason, is just as important, because Christmas can be challenging for lots of reasons.
Grief, financial difficulties and domestic abuse make it a testing and uneasy time for many.
It can also be a sad and lonely period, particularly if there is an empty chair at this year’s table.
A short video released last month by a pub in Enniskillen did a wonderful job of reminding us all about the loneliness many people can feel at Christmastime and how reaching out in a small way can make all the difference.
There will be many lovely examples of people in Donegal doing just that, such as the various organisations and community centres that hold Christmas Day gatherings or who visit those in their communities who may live alone and find this holiday time of year a difficult one.
With such kind gestures these groups and all of the volunteers involved are giving the gift of joy to others and they will undoubtedly put a smile on many faces on Monday.
Of course, kindness, generosity and compassion are not just ideals to try on at Christmas but if you’re any way like Grinch before he had his epiphany, it’s definitely a good place to start.
After all, the point of The Grinch was not to stop giving; but to remember that real joy and long lasting memories don’t come wrapped in rolls of Christmas paper.
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