By Allison Wilton
The first snowfall has come and gone and December has finally arrived. Many of us Christmas diehards have anxiously awaited this moment since the ball dropped last January. Can you believe the year went by so fast?
Right about now people are starting their shopping, or at least thinking of it. They are trimming the tree and decking the halls.
But, some consider Christmas nothing more than an excuse to turn profits. The way I see it, ‘it’s the most wonderful time of year.’ I think the spirit of the season has its advantages and ought to be extended throughout the year.
Kwanza, Hanukkah, Diwali, Ramadan, and Christmas are all held between November and January and all carry a common message of peace and goodwill.
“When there is a feast, people like to take part in it,” says Father Marcel Brodeur of St. Anthony’s Church in Centretown. “Like weddings, funerals and baptisms, there are special days when people like to go back to their roots and their childhood and it’s stronger at Christmas.”
Many people find themselves reconnecting with places of worship at Christmas to demonstrate their commitment to family, friends and religion.
My arguments may sound like I’m about to break out singing ‘let there be peace on earth,’ but I assure you I won’t. I’m not blind to the increased commercialization of Christmas. We’re all bombarded by businesses trying to get a piece of the Christmas buck.
I just think the concept of Christmas runs deeper than that, in theory and in practice.
The holiday season is a time when goodness in people is best reflected. It is a time of moral consciousness and of economic prosperity and I don’t see a problem with that.
When the retail industry is booming, money is poured back into the economy. As we all know, the Canadian economy has suffered greatly since the attacks of Sept. 11. The problem is, by mid-January, the buying and selling slump hits and the retail industry sits almost at a standstill.
A thriving economy means the poor become a little richer, more jobs are created and our standard of living is stabilized. Imagine how the economy would improve if people maintained some of their Christmas buying habits year round.
“Everyone would be extremely happy,” says Coby Palmer, manager of Mrs. Tiggy Winkles toy store in the Rideau Centre. “But it will never happen.”
Why couldn’t it?
If Canadians sought to boost the economy by spending their money more frequently couldn’t it be possible? Even donations to charities would be worthwhile.
According to the 2001 census, 14,000 people use homeless shelters regularly in Canada. Experts say a more accurate figure would be three or four times that number. That means a lot of hungry mouths to feed. Every Dec. 25, the needy get a turkey dinner with all the trimmings, but what happens on Boxing Day?
Debi Zaret of Volunteer Ottawa says interest in volunteering goes up substantially every Christmas.
“In many cases of short term volunteerism it’s a very good introduction for the new volunteer,” says Zaret. “And, many end up staying on after the holidays.”
But, she adds, the benevolence of charity workers is a necessity throughout the year.
“Christmas is the general time of caring and it brings out the best in people,” says Colin Chalk of the Ottawa Food Bank. “It’s not that people don’t care about it the rest of the year, they just become more aware during the holidays.”
Chalk says if volunteerism and donations were spread throughout the year the same as at Christmas, the results would be “amazing.”
In a world filled more and more with talk of war, terrorism and scandal, the prospect of living in a prosperous, caring society 365 days a year is without a doubt the better option.
Think about it.
Merry Christmas!