The Wonder Of Christmas

[Gianni Truvianni]

An article about Christmas and how it has come to be celebrated by so many through out the world, some of which are even atheistic in their believes while others are of religions not of the Christian variety who in spite of which have come to treasure Christmas. Yet, it all that be Christmas some Christians do not uphold it believing it pagan; as it is not mentioned in any way shape or form in the bible’s “New Testament”.

There are some conversations which for some reason or other we will never forget and though they held no great importance in our lives, it is just the same that our memory will not delete them as they made us see something that perhaps had always gone past our attention. It was back in the month of December in the year of 1985 that I had such a conversation while still a student at “The Tutoring School of New York” with a fellow student. A young lady to be exact and though I forget the name of this person I remember her as a nice girl who just happened to be a school mate of mine. The day was the last day of school before Christmas break and I do recall being on my way home or wherever I was heading that day after school under the influence of some champagne, which one of the teachers had brought to celebrate the start of the Christmas vacation.

It happened while I was on my way out of the building with my best friend at the time, Paul Rao (Italian American like myself) and as we were both biding farewell to all those whose spirits matched the one of the season while at the same time spreading Christmas wishes that a fellow student was coming in to the building. Moved by the feelings of good cheer delivered to me not only by the Champagne but Christmas I said “Well, good bye and have a merry Christmas” to this young lady whom I was acquainted with (not that I had much a of choice as ours was a school of only 80 students) but was not really a friend of. This young lady however rather then reply to my desires for her to have a merry Christmas with her own simply said “I am Jewish” with a rather serious look on her face which for the first time made me stop to think; “What of it?”.

It being then that I; with the best of intensions to spread my good wishes to all, excluding none said “Well, try to have a merry day on Christmas; doing what ever it is you do if for no other reason then just to be happy”. I could tell by the look on her face and the reaction of those around me that this was the last thing anybody had expected me to say but I also could sense that those who had heard me in a way agreed with what I had said about Christmas. After all there is some kind of magic about Christmas that goes beyond religion and even faith in God or Jesus and in to something which in my opinion has more meaning and that being love of humanity and that which we know as true kindness, that seeks not reward from God but its own merit and that of creating a nicer world for all to live in.

Christmas, in conclusion I would say is many things to different people and has had a tremendous influence over the whole of society in more ways then one that include films, music, literature and so much more but to me above all Christmas has always been about coming together as people and putting differences behind at least for the time that is Christmas. In my mind, if nowhere else; it does not matter weather one believes in Christ or not or if the carpenter’s son, who was named Jesus really lived or if he in fact was the “son of man”. For what does is that during this time there is a feeling that makes people nicer to one another and come together in to one group that accepts all regardless of anything else that might have separated us through out the year. It is almost as if on this day and the time that leads up to it people smile more as happened on that day when I wished that Jewish girl a merry Christmas. A girl who if my memory serves me well replied with a slight laugh “well thanks, I’ll try and a Merry Christmas to you to” as she walked past me.