Let’s be honest. Despite all the religious pronouncements, most of the activities relating to the celebration of Christmas in Belize, as in many other countries, have nothing to do with honoring the birth and life of Jesus.
Rather, Christmas has increasingly become a frenzy of shopping and materialistic consumption, feasting on the same established menu, increased alcohol consumption, and the sharing of gifts for self-gratification or momentary pleasures. For many, because of strong social and economic pressures, securing loans have become their only option to afford the Christmas spree. During this challenging period of the Covid-19 pandemic, there are many who will feel additional pressure to try to retain Christmas as it once was for them.
The Christmas splurge is not practiced by everyone, I must hastily say. There are those who consciously seek to express a deeper meaning, within their means.
The wild eagerness of the merchant class to start advertising Christmas from early November each year is really not due to any enthusiasm about Jesus’s birth or his teachings. It is usually about their own bottom line – mammon. The reality is that consumerism has become the emphasis of religious holidays; quite contrary to the age-old wisdom that endless craving for sensual pleasure and material goods can exercise a powerful grip on the human mind and block deeper awareness and peace.
It is no coincidence, therefore, that the persistent overshadowing of Jesus by the fat, bearded white Santa at Christmas (or by an egg-laying bunny rabbit, however that could happen, at Easter) along with all the other glittery trappings, has been programmed deeply in our national psyche over centuries of colonialism. How does Rudolph, a glowing-red-nosed reindeer, relate to Jesus anyway?
Understandably, those in winter climes adopted the Christmas tree inside their homes because they could not venture into the bitter cold outside to enjoy green natural life and the starry nights. In our tropical climate, the media incessantly prods people to be “dreaming of a white Christmas, just like the one I used to know”. Keep dreaming. The snowman as part of the season’s image is also heavily ingrained, even at schools.
Even our politicians were not ones to miss out on playing Santa as they distribute hams and turkeys. The squabbling over the public purse by both political parties to provide the poor a one-meal gift for political mileage made for interesting theatre during those years prior to this Covid pandemic. Interesting that ham and turkey became the standard meal for this celebration while insensitive merchants promote the Christmas sale of toy guns in a crime-riddled country, all in the name of Jesus.
While many are “dreaming of the white Christmas” that will never be a part of our tropical experience, tourists escape winter to enjoy the outdoors of Belize’s lush tropical climate and fulfill their dream of a forest green or marine blue Christmas. The only “one-horse, open sleigh” that was Belize’s reality was our own one-horse carriages that tourists enjoyed in Belize City. The foreign winter images and traditions that we adopted served not only an economic purpose but as replicas of our nation’s colonial history, even if spiritually alienating.
Many who call themselves Christians, including church leaders, know in their hearts that the Christmas frenzy is not what this day was intended to be. Yet, they silently comply and repeat ineffective and uninspiring sermons that have made little difference in nurturing a deeper appreciation of the message of the one whose life they claim is being celebrated. Rather than church leaders taking the lead of promoting through the media gems of wisdom to nurture timeless wisdom for a caring society, it is merchants and media that continue to reinforce the bacchanal for their profits.
“Bring the rum on this Christmas morning, bring the rum”, they sing, even while sexualized marketing of alcohol demonstrates the lack of awareness of deep sufferings of alcoholism in our heavy-alcohol-consuming country, and the corollary, alcohol-related triggers of vast domestic violence. At least there could be fewer pretenses if we honestly admit that Christmas has largely reverted to what it was during the early centuries, when the celebration was merely a pagan ritual.
In ancient times, centuries before the birth of Jesus was celebrated by Christians, December 25th marked the celebration of the winter solstice and its links to the Roman sun god and the Persian god of light. This popular weeklong Roman festival was a time of general merriment that included feasting, visiting one another, lighting candles and giving gifts. Historical records reveal that Jesus was not born on December 25th. Based on a number of biblical clues, most scholars believe that Jesus was most likely born in September or early October. Others suggest that it was March. It was not until over 300 years after the birth of Jesus that the church decided to celebrate it.
A decision was made by the Roman emperor, Constantine, that one way to reduce the influence of the pagan feast was to merge the birth of Jesus to the same day of that celebration. Consequently, Pope Julius I proclaimed that day, December 25th, as the day for celebration of the Mass of Christ’s birth — Christ’s mass. Because the church could not convert the people without first allowing them to keep some of their traditions, it permitted the blending of the festivities with Christian traditions.
And what about the one whose birthday has been drowned out by the frenzy of consumer activities? Wasn’t it he who achieved greatest spiritual realization by abandoning the very traps of insatiable pursuits of material things and pleasures? Wasn’t it he who taught, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for justice?” Wasn’t it he who counseled that “The one who has two shirts must share with someone who has none, and the one who has food must do the same”? Didn’t he call pretentious leaders, “You hypocrites… you brood of vipers?”
Didn’t he also whip people for turning a house of honor into a den of hustlers and thieves? That kind of good Jesus-whipping would still be applicable for those who violate the honor of a certain national House. Didn’t he weep bitterly with compassion when he saw people ignorantly trapped in stubborn egos, insatiable greed, hatred, and an endless cycle of betrayal and evil? Wasn’t it he who taught, “Blessed are the pure of heart”, “Love one another,” “If you forgive, you will be forgiven” and “whatsoever you do to the least of these my brothers, you do it to me”?
Given the start of the Christmas frenzy, it seems as though this season or the next and the other, are not the time to reflect on the deeper meaning of the radical and transformative teachings of the one whom it is meant to celebrate. Maybe at Easter? No, that’s for the egg-laying bunny rabbit, and more media-promoted alcohol and hip-gyrating bikini contests at the beach. Who cares? The consumerism, the alcohol, ham and turkey, snowman, Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer, Santa, the bram and the feasting frenzy are all set nationwide among those who can afford or who borrowed for it.
And non-religious I, what should my Christmas feast be? All I ask for is a nice dish of hudut with lasusu or falumoun, but I am consistently reminded that those are not the foods to eat at Christmas. Instead of wrapping gifts, I’d just like to wrap everyone with a hug and send peace and love. This Covid 19 pandemic forces all to a certain pause, through which we can each reconnect to deep, timeless, and liberating messages and values. We can all nurture change from deeply ingrained old habit-patterns of thought and action towards a greater good of self and others. Anyway, do enjoy the gift of your life with your families and friends. Whatever is your reason for the season, no need to stress-out over Santa and all the trappings; life is much more. Be safe and well.