A post holiday review
I don't want to be a grinch here, but let's face it, there are many things about the holidays that make me want to just stay home and drool over the television – even that can get real tacky at times, especially with the commercialization of the season. Well, anyway, let me give you three things that really piss me off during the holidays, I'll bet these also piss you off as well.
MASQUERADING FAITH DURING THE MISA DE GALLO – try attending the early morning mass on the first day and you will find the churches and chapels overflowing with people. Then, go on attending it day after day after day and you will see how the numbers dwindle until finally there is barely enough to fill the church. Is this a reflection of the dwindling faith of the Filipino? Oh, and aside from this unexplainable exodus of faithful check out the crowd composition as well. What you would normally find during the misa de gallo are under-aged lovers using the early morning mass as an alibi so that they could rendezvous with the raging-hormone-under-aged half of their forbidden relationship; then you have drunks who came fresh from their gimmick places banking on the mass to wash off whatever remains of their sanity, oh, and let's not forget those who simply go to the mass because they want wishes granted – true, this is a Pinoy tradition and culture has kept all of us believing that completing 'nine mornings' of flagellation will get favors granted, but let's not make this the sole reason for our devotion – God knows what we need, and He will give it to us in His own time, misa de gallo or no misa de gallo.
CHRISTMATERIALISM – Materialism is a word I hate and I hate it even more when it comes with Christmas. Nowadays Christmas seems to be represented by pretty packages in bows and tinsel. Sure, gift-giving is a worthwhile gesture, but let's not make it Christmas itself. Many people seem to think that the cheer that Christmas brings could be measured in the number of presents one receives or the value of the items inside the pretty packages. People tend to spend too much during the holidays and then end up having nothing when the year begins simply because they would buy gifts that eventually end up in second hand garment shops or the garbage can. Although I would not generalize, many people now look at gifts for what these are worth and not for what these represent. If you give someone a cheap gift, you might end up being back-bitten. Gifts represent generosity and giving, not the price tag or the international import scene!
CHRISTMERCIALISM – this doesn't just go for Christmas, it goes for every other holiday there is. The business sector seems to always capitalize on the holidays to sell their stuff. This phenomenon is just as much the reason also for widespread materialism. With messages like 'Make a loved one happy this Christmas, by (fill in the blanks, go on, you don't have to think that hard)', or 'The star of your Noche Buena feast' When did we start replacing the baby Jesus with a cured pork leg for goodness sake? The business sector is sending across the wrong kinds of messages, and to add insult to injury, television networks also seem to find the season a very effective means of beefing up their ratings by indiscriminate televised doling out! Oh well, papel! I guess I'll just have to content myself with blurting out my heartaches on paper and hope that some of you hear me. Now, don't get grouchy on me if you happen to find a soulfully written poem on a cheap Christmas card in your mail from me – you have no idea how much work goes into one poem; more than your credit card can buy!
Be rational; be insane…every once in a while! TTFN!
Merry Christmas and an Explosive New Year to all of you! Byers! I love you all!