This
contribution is a personal reflection on the meaning of Christmas by a
local member of the Ottawa Baha’i Community - Editor
Christmas time is a time of reflection and memories, but it is a
religious holiday that I no longer celebrate. Yet,
it was a big part
of my life for over 50 years. It is intertwined with all the
memories
of my childhood and three cherished family members who have “abandoned
their physical garments and ascended to the spiritual world”, my
father, my mother and my younger brother.
When someone asks
“Are you ready for Christmas?” it seems too much to go into an
explanation that we have a time of hospitality and gift
giving. It is
in late February. The Baha’i calendar consists of 19 months
of 19
days, with four “Intercalary days”. These days come just
before the
month of Fasting when we abstain from food and drink between Sunrise
and Sunset. Also referred to as
Ayyam-i-Ha, these days are devoted
to spiritual preparation for the fast, hospitality, charity and gift
giving.
But still, the Christmas music plays and the questions
come about Christmas. The music is beautiful and it brings
back many
memories. Each one of my cherished lost
loved ones comes to mind
with a particular song. For my father, it is “It’s beginning
to look a
lot like Christmas”. The memory goes back to when I was 15
years old. My older sister wanted to go to Mass on Christmas morning with her
husband. They had a three-month-old baby, so they asked me to
walk
over and baby-sit for them. My father did
not want me to be alone on
Christmas morning and came with me. As we walked along on
that snowy
morning, he sang in his best Jimmy Durante voice, “It’s Commencin’ to
look a lot like Christmas”. It is one of my most precious
memories.
The
song that brings my mother to mind is “Have a Holly Jolly Christmas”
Although she loved the song, she pretty well always reversed the order
to Jolly, Holly. This happy light song personifies my
mother. She
loved to laugh and getting the words tumbled was so like her and it did
not matter to her at all. I picture her laughing and happy
when I hear
this song.
In the case of my brother, memories of him come
flooding back when I hear “Feliz Navidad”. He loved this song
and he
loved Christmas. He worked as an ambulance officer and
sometimes had
to work on Christmas. I remember this was always very
difficult for
him. He cherished spending Christmas with his wife and two
daughters.
When
I made the decision to embrace my new Faith in January 2001, it was
after a great deal of prayer and thought. One of the
reservations I
had was that I felt I might be increasing the degree of separation from
the three family members, whose memories are wrapped in the Christmas
Traditions. I found comfort in learning that in the Baha’i
faith,
there is a belief that we can pray for those who have passed on and
they can pray for us. So, even though I no longer observe
Christmas, I
am still connected to my loved ones.
So, no I don’t celebrate
Christmas, but I am happy to be included in the celebrations of others
and the spirit that envelops Christmas is an essential part of my
Faith. “To give and to be generous are attributes of Mine;
well is it
with him that adorneth himself with my virtues.” is a quote from the
Persian Hidden Words written by Baha’u’llah , the Prophet of the Baha’i
faith. This quote summarizes the love and generosity that
surrounds
the celebration of Christmas.
