The spirit of the season
Louis with his toy electric piano
My favourite thing about the season is the Christmas spirit! It’s such an indescribably happy time of theyear. I begin to look forward to it from about mid-July! Some people think I’m mad, but honestly, how can one not look forward to Christmas?
Christmas for me, starts when the Manchester Christmas lights go on in Albert Square. This year, it happened on Nov 4. It is a grand occasion, with a glorious fireworks display and live music by popular British artistes.
My family and I don’t have any particular Christmas traditions. We attend midnight mass, exchange gifts, cook Christmas dinner and usually have it with a few very close friends of our family. That makes a really nice Christmas Day. Christmas at home is fantastic. My Mum and I try to make our home as cozy and Christmassy as we possibly can with Christmas decorations, lights, food, music, the occasional Christmas films, and of course, setting up our own Nativity Scene. I live in Manchester for most of the year, so spending Christmas with my family and pets is something that I look forward to and cherish. It’s a real pity, though, that it isn’t cold or snowing during Christmas-time inSri Lanka: having lived mostly in Manchester for the past two years, I’ve discovered that climate does affect my Christmas spirit!
I usually find at least one thing memorable every Christmas. In 2013, it was being accepted to study at the Royal Northern College of Music, and experiencing England for the first time. In 2014, it was experiencing falling snow for the first time. Last Christmas, it was visiting the Christmas Markets in Manchesterwith my RNCM friends, Christmas dinner with my flat-mates, and making mulled wine at home in Sri Lanka. But the most complete memory I have of Christmas is of receiving a toy electric piano when I was three, from Father Christmas. It was red, spanned about an octave and a half, and had a handle that made it easy to carry about!Needless to say, that was the start of my musical development. Christmas during my childhood was exciting. Most significantly, during Christmas, my parents took an extra effort to impress upon me the importance of family, not just during Christmas, but all through the year.
I think I understand the meaning of Christmas a little better than I did as a child. When I was little, Christmas was mostly about fun and presents. Now, that takes second place to being thankful to God, both individually and as a family, for sending Jesus down to earth from Heaven to save us.
I’d like to think I celebrate Christmas differently now –inwardly anyway. As to new Christmas traditions: perhaps the making of mulled wine, if I can establish it as a tradition in the family, because it’s great fun! The only problem is that the Sri Lankan climate is in no way suited to the drinking of mulled wine! Making mince pies might be a more of a sensible idea.
With parents at Christmas
I occasionally get trawled in to perform at some concert, carol service or another while I’m home for Christmas. I usually am a part of the group of musicians that perform at Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve.As with any person, my feelings about music are subjective. There is a lot of Christmas music that is ridiculously bad, but thankfully, good music has a habit of prevailing.
I think it’s important that Christmas is celebrated with sincerity and with a true willingness to give without expecting anything in return. Home is where to start: every member of the family can contribute to making the Christmas cake; also, a collective effort in putting up the Christmas tree, the decorations, and the lights usually brings about a lot of happiness. Sincere kindness and willingness to help has an uncanny ability to spread and very soon, it should begin to look a lot like Christmas and a little less like a business!
Louise in Manchester