Christmas Past, Present and Future

byRussellO1

1.5K followers

5 years ago

I live in the tropics, Trinidad to be exact. To those who don't know, that's in the West Indies and Trinidad is the last island in a chain that curves from Cuba, off the tip of Florida, down to Venezuela at the northern end of South America.

We speak English, they speak Spanish.

You may be wondering what all that has to do with Christmas past. present and future?

Well........

Christmas Past

When I was growing up, Christmas was filled with cards depicting scenes like the one above. Even though I have never seen snow, my thoughts of Christmas - up to today - is of a snowy, cold, by the fireplace day with lots of family and friends.

We sang songs like "Jingle Bells", "Dreaming of a White Christmas", " Winter Wonderland", just to name a few. Even the store windows were decorated to give that snowy effect.

Two weeks before Christmas, some of us went caroling. It was always a happy time, singing from evening to midnight. On Christmas eve, we sang all night long, getting home just before the break of day.

As I grew older, people began to 'rebel' against the concept of a northern Christmas in a sunny tropical country.

I recall one calypsonian singing "Green Christmas" and one line went like this "I've never seen a white Christmas". Others agreed and slowly the songs began to change. By the time I entered my 20s, there was a good mix of local and international songs at Christmas time.

Christmas Present

Today, songs like those that I grew up on are heard less and less each year. Local music fills the airwaves and to some extent that is good.

Personally, I am still nostalgic for those old ballads. The local fare is filled with stories of food and drink and some are downright vulgar. Singers today place more emphasis on rhythm than telling a story.

Then there is what is called locally "Soca Parang". It's a mixture of the Spanish music/beat sang a Christmas - telling the story of the birth of Christ - and the soca beat.

It's quite catchy and at one time I enjoyed it, but that too has been tainted, from my point of view, in an effort to win the mighty $.

So Christmas present is still Christmas, but it's a time of merriment and alcohol drinking for most. The Christ, whose birthday it is professed is being celebrated, is seldom mentioned. Fewer and fewer people know the story of the birth of Christ.

Yet, it's a time that I still enjoy, especially the privilege of having family and friends come together to share this time of year.

Locally, when friends visit each other at Christmas time, it's called "paranging".

Christmas Future

I told my wife that next year - if the Lord permits - I'd like to finally experience that "white Christmas". I plan to use WA to help make that possible.

As I write, it's Christmas eve.

The day is almost here and soon will be gone.

Your memory of it depends on what you make of it. I have come to learn that one of the best ways to have happy memories, is to be kind to others - especially those who can only say thank you to you in return.

So as you go through this Christmas, remember those to whom you can be a blessing. As you have been helpful to us here at WA be to those around you who need your help.

2019 is upon us, may our Christmas future be more memorable than our past.