Santa vs baby Jesus

Jerome Teelucksingh

CHRISTMAS is embraced in our multicultural, religious and ethnically diverse Caribbean society. We accept and celebrate this season, but often forget the reason for the season.

It is difficult to give one definition of Christmas. For some, Christmas is sharing happy moments with loved ones – a time of laughter, happiness, peace, love and thankfulness. Also, Christmas is associated with charity to the less fortunate and institutions as orphanages.

But what about this goodwill during the rest of the year?

In the Caribbean, we have retained some European traditions such as the Christmas tree and Santa Claus. But because of our unique cultural heritage we have also added our local touch with parang, pastelles, ginger beer, ponche de crème, black cake and sorrel. Additionally, we associate Christmas with cleaning our homes.

It’s impossible to argue against the commercialisation of Christmas. It’s everywhere – malls, flea markets and social media, all the advertisements with sales and bargains. But it should be much more than just a time for parties, baking, feasting, and drinking excessively.

I don’t want to seem like the Grinch or Scrooge, but Christians need to focus on the true message of Christmas. It is a holy season in the Christian calendar and should not be diluted. Christians must never forget that the season is linked to God’s gift to mankind in the form of baby Jesus. It was a time when joy in the form of God’s son came on Earth.

Some of us tend to forget the "Christ" in Christmas and think only of the "mas." A lively reminder is the popular Parang Soca by Crazy, Put Jesus in Your Christmas. Indeed, it is a time to think of the beginning of Jesus’s earthly life and what this means to the world.

The atmosphere is beautifully captured in the words of the carol "Silent Night! Holy night! All is calm, all is bright." Let’s look at this miraculous birth of Christ.

Long before this birth, prophets had foretold that a Messiah or Redeemer would be born into the world. The Jews in biblical times were eagerly awaiting this Messiah who would free them from their suffering, bondage and slavery. They believed that the Messiah would restore the Jewish nation to its former glory and greatness.

Many Jews were disappointed at Jesus’s humble yet wonderful and miraculous birth. They expected pomp, pageantry and splendour, but he was born in a manger and his earthly parents were simple, ordinary, hard-working people.

Even the first announcement of his birth was made to poor, simple and uneducated shepherds who were in the fields looking after their sheep. Again, this is captured in the words of the carol, "The First Noel, the angels did say/Was to certain poor shepherds in fields where they lay/In fields where they lay keeping their sheep."

Jesus’s coming was “to bring good news of great joy to all people.” Note what the angels said, “all people” – including the rich, poor, good and bad.

The message continued that in the town of David, a Saviour had been born and he was Christ the Lord. This Saviour will also save us from our sins. The host of angels then sang, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace to men on whom his favour rests."

Jesus at Christmas time brought love and peace in the world. To everyone, Jesus brings peace, love, saving grace and joy. Also in the Christmas story there are three wise men who saw a star which guided them to where the divine child was born.

It often seems that Claus is competing with baby Christ. Fortunately, the Caribbean does not have religious fundamentalism and thus the secular co-exists with the sacred. Some do not accept the divinity of baby Jesus, and others should respect that view. Also, a few Christian denominations do not celebrate December 25 because it is not the historically accurate date of the birth of Christ.

Christians must realise they do not need to receive or give gifts as costly as gold, frankincense or myrrh. Instead, they need hearts that love him and lips that sing, worship and praise him. Christians need to ensure that the heavily decorated, well-lit and tall Christmas tree does not overshadow the simple figurines in the small crèche.

Christians appreciate the fact that without the miraculous birth, then the essence of Christmas is lost. This young Prince of Peace, it was foretold, will achieve God’s purpose by love, compassion and justice.