Whatever Happened to the Genuine Spirit of Christmas?
We need to love each other more than ever before
I don’t recall celebrating Christmas as a child — either because it never happened or maybe was a forgettable event I chose not to deposit in my memory banks.
My first husband was Jewish, so that meant no Christmas tree glittering with shiny baubles and tinsel dominating the living room. That never bothered me.
I found the commercialization of the historic birth of Jesus in Bethlehem phony — it lacked the spirit of goodwill and peace to all mankind on which Christianity was based.
When my brother married and started a family, we gathered at his home on Christmas Day for a braai (barbecue) with an array of delicious salads and snacks. Summer’s too hot here for a traditional turkey dinner, although warm Christmas pudding drenched in brandy, with a dollop of ice cream and trifle, always featured on the dessert menu.
He’d play Santa Claus and hand out presents from under the tree. Each gift was wrapped in Christmas paper, with a Christmas tag addressed to the recipient tied with a special Christmas ribbon. (Retailers love this time of year when sales soar.)
Although I enjoyed the annual gathering with our small family, and my late brother loved his…
