Article December 24, 2007 Issue

THE CHRIST IS HERE

In these pages, people from different countries share their thoughts about Christmases past and present.

with contributions from DEANNE LAWRANCE, BETTIE GRAY, ELLEN SEUSY, Beatrice Labarthe, CAITLIN HOLLAND, HERB JUNG, MARGARET WATSON

BY DEANNE LAWRANCE
PIETERMARITZBURG, SOUTH AFRICA

Increasingly, I find people here in South Africa, a predominantly Christian nation, thinking of ways in which Christmas can be more meaningfully celebrated. Instead of simply dressing up in red Father Christmas outfits, with cotton wool beards, to hand out candy and small gifts on street corners, benevolent citizens are more frequently building manger scenes outside churches and in parks.

Also, each year in our city, people of all races and various faiths gather at a large outdoor stadium to participate in "Carols by Candlelight." The news media delight in the vast sea of flickering candles and the sense of shared family celebration as young and old sing "Silent Night" and other well-known carols in different languages. The Christmas story is variously enacted, and gifts are collected for the underprivileged.

Send a comment to the editors

NEXT IN THIS ISSUE

Article

The peaceful promise of Bethlehem