MeeWah
For me, the spirit of Christmas is charity & goodwill to one's fellow man--I learned that from my Da. A man of few words, I learned more from his actions than the little he ever said.
Despite our Buddhist heritage & practice, I was impressed that my Da embraced Christmas. He apparently learned about Christmas from his tour of duty of in the U.S. Army (which enabled him to become a U.S. citizen); from which he acquired an abiding love of the British people & a habit of drinking tea with milk.
The first time he brought home a live pine tree (much to Mama's bewilderment) & glitter-laden greeting cards to send to friends was magical--I had never seen a 'Christmas' tree nor greeting cards & was fascinated by what they could mean. I stood by his side & watched as he painstakingly wrote out Christmas cards. He was unaccustomed to writing in English as it was not his native language. He said it was to remember one's friends at this time of year, just as we remember our ancestors on special days of the year. He also sent cash in an envelope to a local hospital where I was a patient. I asked if the money was to pay a bill, & he said it was extra in appreciation for their help & knowledge. I subsequently discovered that he was regularly sending cash donations to that hospital.
He died several years ago in December on Mama's birthday, so this time of Yule/Channukah/Christmas is bittersweet with memories. I stayed at a childhood Jewish friend's during my visit back home to pay my respects to Da, which happened to coincide with Chanukkah that year. Though she & I grew up together & were best friends, I had never attended an actual Chanukkah gathering though familiar with its observation from Jewish friends & neighbors. My friend observes Chanukkah & held a small gathering of family & friends. I was warmly welcomed into their midst & comforted by their caring & warmth.
Since then, the spirit of Christmas & the meaning of Chanukkah are now intertwined.
& ever since I met my hubby, watching the original old black & white movie of 'A Christmas Carol' has become an annual tradition. I love the novel by Charles Dickens, which he has not read but loves that movie.
Despite our Buddhist heritage & practice, I was impressed that my Da embraced Christmas. He apparently learned about Christmas from his tour of duty of in the U.S. Army (which enabled him to become a U.S. citizen); from which he acquired an abiding love of the British people & a habit of drinking tea with milk.
The first time he brought home a live pine tree (much to Mama's bewilderment) & glitter-laden greeting cards to send to friends was magical--I had never seen a 'Christmas' tree nor greeting cards & was fascinated by what they could mean. I stood by his side & watched as he painstakingly wrote out Christmas cards. He was unaccustomed to writing in English as it was not his native language. He said it was to remember one's friends at this time of year, just as we remember our ancestors on special days of the year. He also sent cash in an envelope to a local hospital where I was a patient. I asked if the money was to pay a bill, & he said it was extra in appreciation for their help & knowledge. I subsequently discovered that he was regularly sending cash donations to that hospital.
He died several years ago in December on Mama's birthday, so this time of Yule/Channukah/Christmas is bittersweet with memories. I stayed at a childhood Jewish friend's during my visit back home to pay my respects to Da, which happened to coincide with Chanukkah that year. Though she & I grew up together & were best friends, I had never attended an actual Chanukkah gathering though familiar with its observation from Jewish friends & neighbors. My friend observes Chanukkah & held a small gathering of family & friends. I was warmly welcomed into their midst & comforted by their caring & warmth.
Since then, the spirit of Christmas & the meaning of Chanukkah are now intertwined.
& ever since I met my hubby, watching the original old black & white movie of 'A Christmas Carol' has become an annual tradition. I love the novel by Charles Dickens, which he has not read but loves that movie.
Even when I was little I would get up in the night and stand at my window and look out at the snow, and wonder about the next year. Maybe I'll get to go visit my sister in California...maybe I'll get to be in a play at school...maybe I'll get a boyfriend! For me it was all about the idea that anything was possible, and Christmas was a reminder of that. When I was little I was amazed at the idea of a savior being born...it was like re-reading a favorite book that had a happy ending! You knew how it would finish and were so excited to see the story start out with hope and promise.
