Christmas

What is Christmas really about these years? Is it still a religious celebration, only to be celebrated by religious folk (or people who used to be religious and now only participate in the religious community a few times a year.) Is it a commercial celebration started from a religious tradition and taken on by shops as an aid to sell products that we would never buy for ourselves. Is it a time of the year where we shock the kids and celebrate their innocence by giving them gifts from Santa, without taking credit for their new found toys and joy. Is it a celebration of the giving spirit, of getting a good feeling for ourselves from the appreciation of what we have given to others, be it our presents or our time volunteering (volunteers peek around and on Christmas although they are needed all year round.) Is it a time to celebrate family and community, of catching up with the people who share our blood who we see no other time of year, of having fights and of sharing stories, and of being everything a community is together or noticeably missing with a gap where one should be. Whatever Christmas is for each of us, be it joyous of depressing, it is a day that does not pass unnoticed.