Ah how fast time flies !!! This time two years ago, we were in Dresden enjoying the company of two of our sweetest and kindest friends Kate and Ulf. It was an amazing experience, because it snowed and the famous Dresden Christmas Markets had just opened and the atmosphere was almost unreal, especially to me who is not such a big Christmas fan. I remember the freezing cold evenings at the market drinking mulled wine ......... what an experience that was !!! It helped me change my view on Christmas. Christmas has always been a time of stress for me. What with the parties and the gifts and all that ... and I used to say to myself: but is this what Christmas is all about? Is this what Christmas should be all about? I mean, the King of Heaven was born in utter poverty ... and now it seems that one cannot celebrate a proper Christmas unless one is wealthy? Something must have seriously gone wrong !!!
As my bestest of friends says: Christmas is a time of being with the family and enjoying each other's company and not the mad rushing in and out of shops buying gifts and worrying that you will not have enough money left to see you through the end of the month. I cannot see any reason to rejoice in that predicament, can you? But yeah, my friend's view starting to sink in and I also started to realise that Christmas is not really about materialism but it's a profound, deep and spiritual experience. The problem was that I was allowing Christmas to become a materialistic experience forgetting the real event altogether.
They say that the best things in life are free: and I'm sure that you agree with me here when I say that LOVE is one of the best things in life. It cannot be bought but it can only be freely given. That is what Christmas is all about !!! LOVE !!! God's love to humankind !!! God's initiative to once again work at redeeming us from our sinful nature !!! This event does not need parties, alcohol, drugs, unnecessary deaths, unnecessary debt, unnecessary stress but just INNER GRATITUDE !!! Nothing else I guess !!!
As I have already said, I've never been big into Christmas, but my friend's advice together with the experience in Dresden has changed my mind completely ......... I'm actually looking forward to Christmas !!!!
This picture was taken on our first night in Dresden. I cannot quite remember the place but the Christmas tree impressed me greatly and so did the atmosphere there !!! There is nothing better than a great night out with great friends and soul mates !!!
I remember as a child, sitting in the darkened living room, lit only by the lights on the silver-tinsel Christmas tree, while my mother told us stories about the fairy that lived behind the tree.
ReplyDeleteSod the shopping, Christmas is atmosphere, friendship, taking stock, family and a teeny bit of magic! :)
You could not have said it any better dear Fi. We have managed to kill Christmas. It is the time as you said to take stock, be around those people that matter and that life would surely not be the same without them, and yes ........ sod the shopping !!!
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