Man it really crazy, last year I wrote an article about the decreased baking activities that usually take place around Christmas time..
This year I could not help to notice the decrease in community members participating in lighting up there houses around this time of the year…
I started think, damn even though I am not a true believer anymore in the Christmas holidays season, I do miss the joy it brought to friends and loved ones around the holidays.
What’s really happening here, I thought to myself ? Is the traditional culture of Christmas dying out ? Or, is people so irresolute on cash, that they can no longer afford to participate in such traditional activities?
This year for the season, as we know everybody’s pockets a bit tight, we decided to offer everyone a chance to enjoy a tart this Christmas at the very low cost of $10 while supporting our elder in the community that still enjoys baking during the holidays.
We offered Prune, Guava, Coconut and Pineapple Tarts and the orders racked up to about 42 tarts of which one community member purchased 20 with the intention to spread the holiday sprit and gave them away. He also purchased 10 bags of Salad Mix to give away as well.
Cash flow is a serious thing is these trying economical times. I remember my elder colleague telling me ‘’ If I decide to make tarts this year, will people be able to afford it? The cost of goods have sky rocketed so much, that I have to also consider perhaps putting my life long traditional baking on hold because people can’t afford double the price like I am forced to pay on ingredients to produce these tarts, much less buy lights when they can’t afford to put food on they table properly for the holiday season’’ She expressed. If you noticed, even the house over Cole Bay Hill that lights up each year, has finally dimmed its lights as well.
I had to ask myself these questions because things are just not the same anymore. To me, it falls on a bit of both. I believe that allot of people and children alike, because of tools such as the internet have widen their thought capacity on a number of long term trending topics such as the true existence of Santa Clause, Religion, Slavery, Race and other cultural influential events or activities that play a major role not only in our lives but through out the course of his-story.
His-Story, I say because the stories and myths never were naturally occurring events, but man made theory’s, activities or implementations that shaped the way we think and influenced our socially active lives.
Truth of the matter is, if these occurrences never happen, would we have been influenced other wise, and by what or who’s guiding points throughout the course of civilization would have navigated our socialism.
What I came to realize it that, despite some of these occurrences having negative impacts on humanity, they also have had their positive. Christmas, was one of those activities that brought people together, fostered love, care and brought joy into our households.
If we throw what we have learned from this man made concept of togetherness on the side, what do we look forward to next ? More Social Distancing ? Economical Instability ? It seems even this man made activity have shaped a number of our social lives during this test of the time. Together we remain stronger and preserved culture, socially distant, we create room for growing apart and lack of compassion for all that we distant our selves from. Thus, resulting in times like this when we see a reflection of shallow pockets and no one around to help make the holiday season a time to smile about.
The harsh reality always remained though, there were many that could not have enjoyed the joy of such a holiday season due to the fact of sharing a different religious belief or living in a state of poverty where such delicacies are only a fairy tale to the soul.
To me, Christmas is just another great marketing theme that allows us to spend way beyond our capacity to fulfill our years wishes that we could not have afford otherwise, then leaving us in a position to wonder how we will tuff it out in the Month of January the following year.
On the other hand, It is also a time that we can take to share reflect and share compassion, hope, joy and love still, even though we have lost many elders that upheld the light of the Christmas sprit. We must not let that discourage us from keeping the lights shining, not so much the lights outside, but the lights burning within our soul. For in that light there is joy, love, togetherness and hope that all one day again, can enjoy the true meaning of what the holiday season means to families and friends.
If we keep the fire burning on the inside, we may no longer have to ask or wonder, Way the lights gone ?
Wishing everyone a blessed and healthy 2023 !
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