A Christmas Beyond Cake and Wine

December 24, 2008


Its Christmas time again!!!! But in less than a week, it’ll all be done. New clothes, Festive meals, cakes, sweets, greetings cards, Christmas tree, holly, the crib…..It will all come to an end. So what is it that remains for a long time to come. Perhaps just the spirit of Christmas. It is the warmth that you feel after being with your loved ones, the excitement of opening presents and the joy of a gala time. But there is a saying which says that Christmas is not as much about opening our presents as opening our hearts. True! It is Christmas only when you stop to do some good. So this time around, how can Christmas be made more meaningful and memorable?

 

Here are some pointers:

 

  • Play Secret Santa in the family or Buy a small gift for everyone at home even if gifting is not a common tradition. Wrap it in colourful paper, tied with a bow and place it under the tree. On Christmas watch how each person becomes a child as they open their gifts.
  • Buy gifts and cards that are attached to a cause. For example cards made by special children or gifts made by rural artisans. Most importantly make sure the recipient knows where the gift comes from.
  • Most of us give out old clothes to the poor this season. This time why not buy a new item of clothing for a poor child.
  • Go carol singing to a children’s home. What better way than to spend Christmas with little children. Gather a group of at least three and sing for children. Dress like Santa if you can. The smiles on their faces really tug the heart.
  • Visit an old age home and help the inmates write letters to their loved ones. In this electronic age when Email and Mobile phones have replaced greeting cards and letters, there are many who find it hard to keep pace. Many do not have access to both or in some cases cannot afford it. Why not spend an hour or two and help the inmates write letters and cards for their near and dear ones.
    Sponsor medical treatment for a child. It need not be a major surgery but a small contribution towards the child’s medicines for the month will go a long way in helping a poor family in need.
  • Invite an inmate of an old age home for a Christmas meal with your family. A home cooked meal and people around will truly bring out Christmas for them.
  • Sponsor a month’s school fees for a needy child.
  • Visit an animal shelter and donate old newspapers, the pups there will never stop wagging their tails at visitors. It does not matter if it is Christmas or not.
  • Distribute cake to a few patients in the hospital who are not able to celebrate Christmas at home.
  • Donate blood. You could gift someone life.
  • Visit a family who has recently lost a loved one. We generally tend to forget such people in our merriment.
  • Cook a meal for Mama on Christmas. The whole year through, she cooks for you. This is your time to do something for her.
  • If you sit down and think, Christmas can be made special in so many ways. A small gesture on our part can bring joy to many hearts.

Lets take this Christmas beyond cakes, puddings and wine. Lets reach out and spread the message of love around. 

Christmas is forever, not for just one day,
for loving, sharing, giving, are not to put away
like bells and lights and tinsel, in some box upon a shelf.
The good you do for others is good you do yourself...
~Norman Wesley Brooks, "Let Every Day Be Christmas," 1976

From Daijiworld archives:

Melisha Noronha - Archives:

By Melisha Noronha
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Comment on this article

  • sudhakhazanchi, J&K/Ahmedabad Guj

    Tue, Dec 14 2010

    A Christmas beyond cake is a wonderful suggestion we can do lot many things with all these tips to make children and people happy we run a Sunday school for children we can make them understand how to make less previlleged children happy
    thanks
    sudhakhazanchi

  • Shruthi Dsouza, Kundapur/ Dubai

    Mon, Dec 29 2008

    Yes indeed we can make not just chrismas but also other occasions like Bday or anniversary meaningful by doing some good deed or charity for needy and deprived.

  • ARUNKUMAR ARLIKATTI, Zarephath Charitable trust LIG 12 # 102, Akshay Park, Airport Road, HUBLI 580030 ( Karn) INDIA

    Sun, Dec 28 2008

    Melisha, Lords abundant blessings be upon your mission.. keep it up!. Dedicating as a good Samaritan is good. Instead of preaching it is to present Christ in this way. Sister, Keep going, we will co-operate. Keep praying for us. we conduct a pilgrimage tour to Holy land Israel. From the profit we are sponsoring the college students. Our next vision is to have a old age home for the servant of God. Whoa are not getting the pension. Come let us work to gather and present our Lord to our Nation.

  • Max & Jessie Rasquinha, Mangalore/Houston, Tx

    Thu, Dec 25 2008

    Dear Melisha, What a beautiful msg at a right time when we are almost ready to embrace the midnight hour of the beauty of Christmas. We had been to Bethlehem 43 years ago in 1965 where Jesus was born, and from Bethlehem we proceeded to Jerusalem where Jesus was crucified. Both these cities were very peaceful then even when they were under the late King Hussein of Jordan. The war broke out in 1967. The journey from Bethlehem to Jerusalem made us feel that Christmas is purely a humble journey to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ, and his 33 years of life that takes us towards the feast of Easter reminds us of his sufferings and death on the cross. The voyage of four months from December to April allows us to dedicate ourselves for the rest of the eight months of the year to live in peace and harmony.

    The luxury of cake and wine should remain within us throughout the year so that many other religions will admire us and follow us thru the pathway of peace and progress. We have been given a special privilege again this year to visit the local prison on Xmas day so that we can spend at least couple of hours during the lunch time with our "friends in white" where we conduct our Toastmasters program for 160 inmates. Melisha, it has been a great joy meeting with you during our recent trip to Mangalore. May God bless you at all times - far and beyond the cake and wine.

  • Ronald, Mangalore

    Wed, Dec 24 2008

    Melisha, Nice thoughts. keep it up!. Doing some good things to the poor will surely please jesus. 'Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy'.

  • Joseph F. Gonsalves , Bannur Puttur/Mangalore

    Thu, Dec 25 2008

    Christmas became a show of enjoyment, merry making and good attires (not all, but many). Painting, cleaning, decorating, sending greetings, cribs, Santa Claus, several kinds of kuswar, cakes, bokraeamas, kunkadmas dukramas and soro full at the brim. How many of us are cleansing the soul? How can Jesus Christ come and dwell in a filthy heart? Will he dwell in me and your heart? We are the temple of God. Have we painted, cleaned, decorated, does we eat or read and understand word of God? Where is divinity? Do anybody of us fast to take Holy Communion? We Christians have to introspect ourselves. O.K eat well but keep the heart clean, sanctified, purified so that Jesus put a seal on everybody’s heart, body, mind and soul.

    When the aroma of Jesus Christ spreads around the evil flees away. So let us altogether offer gifts to Jesus by spreading the aroma of Jesus Christ. So that the fragrance will touch every one’s heart and that will be a perfect gift to Jesus. This is my message to all commentators for Christmas. My love and prayers to you all and daijiworld team. Have a nice, meaningful Christmas. The Love, peace, happiness and blessings of Jesus Christ, Prince of Peace be in you all and God the Father bless all of us.

  • joilet, udupi

    Tue, Dec 23 2008

    noted all your points dear Melisha, but most important thing christians have to do is follow Jesus footsteps closely & obey his teachings which are recorded in the Gospel, and these teachings will help them to maintain a close relationship with Jesus heavenly father or Almighty God Jehovah and help them to gain eternal life or salvation.


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