I have been trying to convey to some of my classes what the essence of Christmas is all about, that English has this peculiar term, "The Christmas Spirit", which refers to all the best human characteristics and emotions, as they occur during the Christmas season. These include kindness, helpfulness, charity, love, happiness, togetherness, in fact, anything that can in the slightest degree be construed as positive. People will go out of their way to display these positive attributes and there is a tangible feeling of goodwill towards all people during this period.

At other times of the year, if these same positive characteristics are displayed, they are not referred to under the term "Christmas Spirit". At those times they are considered as naive, eccentric, weird and possibly good-hearted, with a warning label attached which says "Beware! A sucker who can be taken for an easy ride."

During the Christmas season however, suckers are akin to angels, the epitome of Christmas personages. They are sources of inspiration and mythologized. They turn a Scrooge into a blubbering idiot, make the beggar insist of giving change, and prick our consciences to such a degree that we tell the check-out clerk that she has given us too much change and merrily return our unexpected booty.

It is a time when everyone wishes everyone else a "Merry Christmas" and they sincerely mean it. When there is a collective sympathy for people who will not have a merry Christmas and others, like policemen, firemen and nurses, are especially honoured for having to work on Christmas Day, while everyone else basks in a special Christmas glow aided by a daze brought on from over-eating special Christmas fare.

The tangibility of this Christmas Spirit in most obvious when trying to explain it to others who have never experienced it.

8 December 2002

Dion Marc Delport

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