Christmas 2021

हेर न हेर सृष्टिको सुन्दरता
यसलाई बनाउने प्रभुको महानता
धनी र गरिब सबै मिलेर
भन्न सक्छौँ, प्रभु धन्यवाद

Look at the beauty of creation
The greatness of the Lord who made it
Rich and poor all together
We can say, thank you, Lord
Nepali Christian prayer

As this Christian psalm says, Christmas is being celebrated today by those who believe in Jesus, Christians, and all other religions. Christmas 2021 is about to unravel from the COVID scare of the last 2 years. Happy Christmas to all.

The world was a bit silent in the past consecutive two years but it's gradually being normal, streets are expecting crowds with safety measures but the love for Jesus and compassion for mankind is still the same. Welcome to the Christmas of 2021, feel the snow, feel the winter and feel the warmth within.

"Celebrate the happiness, praise the lord and keep smiling"
Welcome to the annual festival, let's commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ together, in our way, our hymns, and our style.

Christmas was a Christian festival till the early years of 20th century, but in the early 20th, it became a secular family holiday and a global commemoration. Thanks to Christmas, because its celebration keeps us away from the melancholic cold and grey winter days.

It's a global cultural and commercial phenomenon. From Jewish Chanukah to Pagan Winter Solstice to Germanic Yule to Roman Dies Natalis Solis Invicti (Birth of the Unconquered Sun); the sheer number of celebration days with trees, decorations, yule logs, mistletoe, and feasts seem to point to a season of celebration to which Christians added the birth of Jesus as a counter-cultural event and possibly even an escape from the pagan holidays for early believers.

This also holds the relevance of the Saturnia festival of emancipation, gift exchanges, and a coup of lights and color after the longest night. The Christian sees the truth implicit in this pagan tradition that reflects: Christ the Light of the world, His triumph over the night of sin in Luke 1:78-79.

While reading English, all of us Nepalis have read A for Apple B for Ball, in the meantime, we have also read X for X-Mass Tree. The chit-chat tree, which looks like a small cedar decorated in the picture, is a common sight today.

In the United States alone, between 30 and 40 million such Christmas trees are purchased today. Remember that it takes at least 15 years for such trees to be ready. Traditionally killing animals in the festival is a common practice in human communities, today many animals and birds, chickens are slaughtered for food.

Since it is difficult to send the animals to graze in the middle of winter and it is also difficult for the shepherds to cut the grass or bring straw, the fact that the number of animals will be reduced in this way is also mentioned in various books.

The big attraction of Christmas is Santa Claus, wearing a red hat and a white beard, mustache, fat big body saint is believed to give gifts and share happiness with everyone. Many children do not sleep late at night waiting for Santa Claus. Some people in the guise of Santa Claus walk around handing out gifts and kisses.

The festival is an excitement that needs to be taken as an expression of culture, harmony, and happiness rather than religion. There are also many Christians in Nepal. Enjoy this great Christmas for everyone, including them.

Suyog Dhakal