The mood on December is totally different from the rest of the year,people suddenly feel the warmth of their families.
Some areas start experiencing snow fall which is sometimes a good or a bad thing.
The thought of the Manchester Derby being postponed because of such bad weather was not very welcomed, luckily it was just a thought.
Britain was recovering Monday after heavy snow brought freezing temperatures, shutting hundreds of schools and disrupting flights for a second day.
Power was restored to more than 100,000 homes, while airports tried to recover their schedules following the winter’s first major snowfall — the biggest in four years.
During Christmas,we’re encouraged to be joyful, charitable, generous, kind, and forgiving—which are all behaviors that run counter to our inclined responses to the stresses caused by holiday shopping, holiday travel, and general holiday interactions. Where does the idea of Christmas spirit come from and why does it hinge so much on behavior?
The message of Christmas spirit is derived from a few general experiences. The first is an actual specter. In the seasonal classic A Christmas Carol Ebenezer Scrooge is confronted by several apparitions who force him to confront his miserly ways and open his heart. If there is anyone who does not embody the alleged Christmas spirit, it is truly Scrooge:
- In response to a request for a charitable donation, he famously asks whether the prisons and the workhouses are not still open for those who seek charity; and says, for those who cannot get to the workhouses or would rather die than seek out these places, “If they would rather die, they had better do it, and decrease the surplus population.”
- He manages the office coal supply and refuses his workers anything but the smallest fire to stay warm.
- He nearly refuses his workers the day off for Christmas—at first negotiating for a half day and stating that he would dock them half a day of pay. When he relents to the full day off, he demands that they come in earlier on the next day to compensate for the lost time.
When Scrooge gets home on Christmas eve, he is visited by the spirit of his former partner who warns him of the coming of three spirits.
One of these phantoms is Christmas Present—a jolly, jovial, generous essence. In the original version of the story, he appears with a great feast and is decorated in the trappings of the season.
His purpose is to take Scrooge around town and show him that both the wealthy and the poor seek solace in the cheer of company on this day.
That is, people are invested in sharing and being grateful for whatever they have, and looking for merriment in each other’s company, regardless of their means.
The Ghost of Christmas Present bears a resemblance to St. Nicholas, who is the physical embodiment of Christmas spirit—and our second example for consideration.
Our present image of Santa Claus comes from a few different sources. He is a combination of the Dutch Sinterklaas and the British Father Christmas—both of whom appear to be rooted in the real life Saint Nicholas of Myra, who was a saint and a Bishop with a reputation for secret gift giving.
For example, he was known for putting coins in shoes left out for him. The tradition of Saint Nicholas’ Day (Dec. 6) spread to many countries, and on the eve of this festivity which marks his death, presents are exchanged. Sinterklaas makes the distinction between good and bad children.
He has a helper named Zwarte Piet who punishes bad children by beating them. (In some traditions, he also abducts very bad children.)
Children leave their shoes by the fireplace with some hay or a carrot for his horse, and Sinterklaas leaves them chocolate coins or some other token.
A sack is also often placed outside of the house or in the living room with presents for the family.
Father Christmas, on the other hand, had nothing to do with gifts—though he has since merged with representations of Santa Claus, he was originally created to be the personification of good cheer.
The third form of Christmas spirit exists in the forms of Christmas decorations.
Lights and evergreens in our homes drive away the imagery and meaning associated with the colder, longer days that mark the end of the growing season.
Both figuratively and literally, on the darkest of days, people wish for light. As the days grow shorter and sometimes colder, and the earth stands barren until growth can begin anew, people’s thoughts turn to warmth, life, and light. Light drives away the darkness.
It symbolizes hope and beginnings, knowledge and safety. Lights create a beacon for others who are out in the dark and cold; they imply generosity and charity.
In the country the Christmas Festive involves joy and merry making with family members.
Those who have spent most of their year in the city travel upcountry to unite with their families.
Goats are rendered lifeless, chicken have to run for their lives and pots of local brew are in high supply.
It is also a good time to forgive each other for all the attricties against each other so that you start the next year on a clean slate.
What do you do for Christmas? What is the most memorable moment during that festive season?