Yuletide Spirit

It is 5 days, 12 hours, 3 minutes and counting before Christmas day. My friend Shane posted on her wall telling that the town seems to be quiet with less cars and people. Not a very typical Keningau setting, because this little town is always bustling with life all year round.

Well, perhaps, not for today.

If you’re a chap born and raised or you’ve worked and lived here in Keningau, you’ll catch the drift. But I guess it is pretty much like any other places. Now is the time when everyone will start to work their butts and end their day in beer or any of that sort. Canopies and camps would be erected, house would be sparkling clean, family starts gathering in anticipation of Christmas Day. Homes well decked with fake Christmas trees, plastic mistletoes, colors toned up to red and green, just nice to jumpstart the Christmas mood. It’s the ultimate Christmas concoction.

We do not have snow here, but with all the family members gathering, you can actually feel the warmth of unity and the love shared as one family that it makes you feel all cozy inside.

Yep, that’s the Yuletide Spirit.

As a child Christmas was an exciting event, but now as an adult it feels like a chore. Christmas has changed so much in recent years for me, that I don’t look forward to it anymore. It’s to commercial and people don’t think about the real meaning of Christmas.
In the 1980’s when I was a child , I couldn’t wait for Christmas and all that goes along with it. Family was a very important part of the season. We had cousins, aunts, uncles, even people I never met that were related to us came over to our house. I can remember watching the women making all kinds of biscuits, the men prepping and decking the house, and all of us kids messing around. The entire family would eat dinner together, obviously I sat at the kid table. Through out Christmas Eve, their was a lot of music playing ,laughter, and warmth. Once everyone ate and it started to get late, it was time to put the kids to bed. I would try really hard to go to bed, but I was so excited it was difficult. So I would stay up and try to listen to the adult conversations.

Then as the next day dawns on us, we would all sports our newest clothes, pampered ourselves and went to the church for the Christmas Mass. The sheer enjoyment, that wonderful, intense aura of joy ~

Christmas. It is about the birth of Jesus Christ, and with that in mind, we gathered together united as a family. As the evening approached, the smell of Christmas dinner excited me. This was the time I had waited for all day. My stomach rumbled with hunger and I could smell the roasted chicken, mashed potatoes and the sight of the colorful foods ; it was wonderful. The supply of food was tremendous, more than I could ever imagine. The table looked like a royal feast. The sparkling crystal, beautiful arrangement of flowers placed so neatly in the middle of the table and the light brown of the glazed turkey made our eyes gleam with anticipation. The family gathered around the spectacular table setting, and my Uncle said grace. When the feasting began, the room turned silent, as everyone savored every breath-taking bite. Christmas dinner is the best meal of the year, because so much time and effort is put into making everything perfect. Every year after Christmas, I think about how the holiday means so much more than Santa, parades, and singing. It truly is about celebrating Jesus Christ, having family unity and eating Christmas dinner as a family. I will never forget the years.

Yep, that’s the Yuletide Spirit.

Merry Christmas Friends ^^