Should There Be Other Activities in Christmas Holiday Than Celebrations?

All around the world, people eagerly wait for Christmas holiday to come simply because of the celebrations that are associated with this holiday. The Christmas period is usually dominated by different types of celebrations such as late night partying, church celebrations and cinema watching. In addition, this is the time for people to purchase gifts and presents to present them to the family members and the loved ones. The current paper is going to discuss the activities that should be carried out during the Christmas holiday other than the normal celebrations that are done for pleasure.

Other than the celebrations which are done for enjoyment, people can use the Christmas period to show their generosity to the poor in the society by giving them what they themselves cannot afford. This is evident from the fact that the mother of the four children in the story of Little Women proposed that, the children ought not to spend the money they had for pleasure while there were men in the army who needed help (Alcott). In this case, poor people who receive the gifts usually feel happy, loved, and cared for by other people. Furthermore, during the Christmas period, the wealthy people should welcome the needy in the society to their houses to share some food with them as this shows concern for them. For instance, a person can invite his or her neighbor for dinner during Christmas so that he or she can extend hospitality to that neighbor.

Another activity which should be done during Christmas is the act of helping each other in the family since this is the time when family members come together; thus there seem to be a lot of work. The work that should be done includes; making of trees around the compound, cleaning utensils, decorating the house and many other activities (Jacobson). Alcott also affirms that “the girls flew about, trying to make things comfortable, each in her own way”. Therefore, the girls were able to put the house in order by helping each other because just as Meg was arranging the tea table, Jo was setting chairs while Beth was busy in the kitchen preparing some food. The children can also help their parents by making the floor garden as well as delivering goods to their relatives while they are on holiday. Therefore, the act of helping family members makes the parents proud of their children since they will grow up as people who can provide assistance to the society.

Furthermore, during Christmas, people visit nursing homes in order to check on those who are sick. Sometimes sick people feel so lonely in hospitals that visiting them during Christmas holiday will definitely brighten them up. Some of the sick people are left in hospital beds with no one to talk to them; thus when they are visited they feel happy because they can at least talk to someone. The act of sharing some food with the sick makes them feel cared for and in return, they can share their past Christmas memories, as this will make them relieved (Gerber). Visiting the sick also gives them hope of getting better because they feel encouraged. Moreover, the widows and widowers should also be visited during the holidays since most of them seem to be lonely and stressed up with life. Visiting them and delivering gifts and presents will actually make them happy, as this will make them realize that others care for them in the community.

Christmas is the best time for a person to conduct a research about different kinds of customs and traditions around the world. In order to do this, a person can visit a cultural center to learn about these customs and traditions; thus equipping him or herself with the knowledge of how different communities around the world celebrate Christmas. By so doing, he or she will acquire information that can be shared with friends and even family members; thus enlightening them as well as educating them on the meaning of Christmas. However, some customs may not seem to be real, for example, putting of candles on trees. Therefore, people should instead use electric candles which are considered to be much safer. In addition, the father or mother can make use of the holiday period to educate his/her children on how they can embrace good morals in their lives.

People can also choose to do ice skating during the holiday as a kind of Christmas activity. For example, in Chicago ice-skating is viewed as the favorite holiday practice as there are different types of ice skating practices such as sloping curve and synthetic rink at Parson. In this case, people enjoy skating, as it is a leisure exercise that makes the body flexible. On the other hand, the holiday time can be used to travel to the museums since they usually hold special events as well as exhibitions for any member of the public to attend. During this activity, an avenue is provided for people to donate the money needed for the upkeep of the animals in the museums as well as for their protection. Furthermore, during the period of Christmas holiday, the family can tour a place in order to learn about the uniqueness of the place and to have fun. The places that can be toured include; the beaches, historical sites, museums and the game reserves where animals are kept. In this case, the family will share the good moments together as this will strengthen the family ties.

Different types of plays are also performed during holidays in order to make young people learn some morals as well as to entertain people. Alcott posits that the four children were preparing for the play that was to be presented during the Christmas night. “We ought to rehearse tonight. Come here, Amy, and do the fainting scene, for you are as stiff as a poker in that”. Children love plays since they find them easier to understand as well as more memorable. In this case, they cannot forget the lesson that the play is trying to teach them; thus a play cultivates good morals in children. Moreover, children participation in plays builds their personality; thus preparing them for future roles in the society. Other than the plays, Christmas holiday is mostly backed up with educating stories from the elderly people who mainly target children since storytelling is a way of rebuking a bad behavior to a child who has negative traits of character. These stories are recited not only by the elderly people but also the parents during dinner time since that is the time when the family comes together after the activities of the day.

People can also use the Christmas period to embrace the tradition of God worshiping since He is the creator as well as the provider. During Christmas people usually go to places of worship such as church or mosques in order to say a word of thanks to God for the care and guidance He has provided to them throughout the year. Worshiping is mostly characterized by fasting as people try to visualize the life of Jesus who was put on the cross in order to save humankind from the life of sin. Furthermore, people use decorations that reflect the life of Jesus in their houses as well as at worshiping places as a sign of remembering His life in this world. In addition, this period is usually associated with movie watching whereby movies reflecting on the entire life of Jesus up to His death are watched either in the church or at home. By doing this, an opportunity is given to the parents to discuss with their children the life of Christ as well as why He came to the world. Therefore, these teachings help in the spiritual growth of the children, as they will grow up practicing the teachings in their life. When children get married, they will also pass the teachings to their children; thus the morals will be passed on from one generation to the other. Furthermore, parents can share the story about their salvation to their children as McDonard observes, “While the family is together in holidays, use the time to share your personal stories about faith, redemption, and life change.”

In conclusion, people should learn to engage in the activities that have been discussed during the Christmas holiday. For instance, giving something to those who are poor shows the concern of each other in the society. Giving entails helping those who are unable to perform certain tasks such as making a meal or even going shopping. This is usually evident among the elderly people who do not have energy; thus helping as well as giving them what they lack shows not only the care for them but also a way receiving blessings. The act of visiting those who are sick in hospitals during Christmas is also a sign of caring for the sick; thus surprising them with a visit will not only make them happy but also give them hope in their life. The sick people get excited when they are being talked to since through this they can tell something about their past life as well as how they are hoping to get well. Furthermore, the teaching that the children undergo during the holiday is of great importance since they get to know new ideas in their life that will transform them into people who can be role models in the society. These teachings usually come from the plays that are held for parents as well as elderly people. Moreover, on many occasions, Christmas period is the time when the family members come together to share the past memories; thus the holiday sets an avenue for the family members to assist each other in case someone gets into a difficult situation. The Christmas celebrations are also full of prayers for those who believe in Jesus as the son of God who was sent into this world to bring salvation to the people. Therefore, Christmas provides an avenue for people to get closer to their creator by praying. It is also the time when people assist each other in making food, arranging the house and making decorations around the houses as well as in churches or mosques.