My Christmas spirit came from simple things when I was little. I remember telling my friends I could smell Christmas every December ( I know I’m not the only one; Christmas really has a scent).
All the cooking and family and friends visit, to the Piccadilly biscuits, danish and chocolate cookies and the drinks daddy brought home mid December. When the rice, oil and goat was brought home, I knew Christmas was here. I really did not need a Christmas tree or snow. I could feel the Christmas spirit wake.
I used to love the Christmas carols my dad played every morning when we woke up during the December vacation. I used to wrap a cloth over my head and play Mary; mother of baby Jesus.
Mum always had to shop for new clothes and shoes before Christmas. It was so much joy going to church to show off our cute Christmas dresses that came with a hat and our new shoes.
May be just me, but Christmas doesn’t feel like it used to. Christmas doesn’t feel so special. I can’t hear knockouts being played. The fir trees in shops do not spark anything in me. Some one told me it is the state of the economy. Gertrude ( my little sister) told me she could smell Christmas, I laughed like it was a joke and said she probably had a lot of money to be smelling Christmas.
The joy of Christmas may be for children. But the Christmas spirit starts to fade as we grow older with responsibilities. The economy conditions us to lose the Christmas spirit as we grow. Now instead of thinking of the Christmas dress and shoe, we think of January bills and how we should not spend so much during the Christmas season.
Even black Friday sales do not excite us like it should. All the Christmas ads on the TV do nothing to our spirits.
School resumes in January, we have an increased academic and hostel fees to pay (my siblings and I). Christmas now just points to the fact that January will be here soon and I’ll have to have money stashed to pay off my bills.
Christmas now is about what you do not have, things you do and do not have to do. My Christmas spirit is dead and I can’t really blame anyone.
I’m not getting new shoes or clothes for Christmas, I have enough clothes and shoes to wear out. I’m not sending a beautiful Christmas message out to all my Whatsapp contacts, I’m not glad, the E-Levy has made me mad. Hopefully, I receive my Christmas miracle before the year ends.
We couldn’t wait to grow so we could have every drink of our choice and be able to eat a full jar of chocolate chip cookies. Who would have thought Christmas was more fun for the kid without responsibilities.
