I truly believed in Santa and his Reindeers. I pictured it just as the western Christmas songs painted it to be. Sure, there were no gifts under the Christmas tree when I was growing up but just the air of Christmas, that air you can somehow smell, was enough.
The occasional Christmas shoes and clothing dad bought when he could plus the endless supply of Christmas rice, meat and chin chin was something to look forward to. Oh, the money family relatives and friends gave was quite the icing on the cake. Money mothers always made sure to ‘borrow’ with no definitive pay back date. They’ll always say they paid already when they breastfed us.
One of the principal things to keep in mind as the Christmas season deepens is how much of a privilege it can be for those who can afford to handle every expense associated with the yuletide. Yes, it is a privilege. I know there are large swathes of families for whom the season holds little significance not because they are constrained by beliefs or unwillingness but because they simply can’t afford to celebrate the season.
This Christmas, let’s remember those who are in need or face one form of lack or another. Reach out if you can. It doesn’t matter how little it may be. It will mean something to the person in need. The joy of the season is that we can share. Christ who we celebrate, was born as our savior. His birth and eventual sacrifice is a great gift. In that spirit, let something leave your hand towards someone this season. Let a family somewhere smile because of you. They will appreciate it.
That you are in position to do so is grace. You doing so is a gift; a gift that yields great rewards. Christmas is nothing without the act of giving. We honour Him whose birthday we celebrate by doing so. This is the reality of Christmas as an adult. Make that magic happen for someone.
More importantly for parents, create unforgettable memories for your children. An atmosphere of love, joy and celebration around your kids is one they will forever hold dear. This is when family traditions get established. One the kids will treasure for a lifetime. You certainly don’t need to break the bank to do so. Create the magic of Christmas for your kids in any way you can. We may be all grown up but there’s one thing we must never let go of and that’s the magic of Christmas.
Today makes it 18 days to Christmas!
One of the principal things to keep in mind as the Christmas season deepens is how much of a privilege it can be for those who can afford to handle every expense associated with the yuletide. Yes, it is a privilege. I know there are large swathes of families for whom the season holds little significance not because they are constrained by beliefs or unwillingness but because they simply can’t afford to celebrate the season.
This Christmas, let’s remember those who are in need or face one form of lack or another. Reach out if you can. It doesn’t matter how little it may be. It will mean something to the person in need. The joy of the season is that we can share. Christ who we celebrate, was born as our savior. His birth and eventual sacrifice is a great gift. In that spirit, let something leave your hand towards someone this season. Let a family somewhere smile because of you. They will appreciate it.
That you are in position to do so is grace. You doing so is a gift; a gift that yields great rewards. Christmas is nothing without the act of giving. We honour Him whose birthday we celebrate by doing so. This is the reality of Christmas as an adult. Make that magic happen for someone.
More importantly for parents, create unforgettable memories for your children. An atmosphere of love, joy and celebration around your kids is one they will forever hold dear. This is when family traditions get established. One the kids will treasure for a lifetime. You certainly don’t need to break the bank to do so. Create the magic of Christmas for your kids in any way you can. We may be all grown up but there’s one thing we must never let go of and that’s the magic of Christmas.
Today makes it 18 days to Christmas!
18 days to another Christmas celebration. Thank you Jesus.
ReplyDelete24 days to 2026. Thank you Jesus 🙏
Thanks so much for this piece. Last year I traveled home and saw a widow rinsing plenty rice covered in stew, it was rice she had collected from neighbors. In my village people often share rice and stew with neighbors on Christmas Day. When I asked her why she was doing this, she said it's normal to rinse stew from rice, sun-dry it, and store it for later use. Abi I want make she waste food by throwing it away? Chai! I was shocked.
ReplyDeleteThis year I'm planning to gift her a small bag of rice, a chicken, and some clothes for her children, along with a little envelope 💰. I'll also gift a few people of my village people who are going through a lot. Thank you Master Jesus
Awwww 💕 this touched my heart. Pls do Mejhay, God bless you for that thoughtful gift 🤗
DeleteAmen and bless you too, Adunni. ❤️
DeleteThat's so thoughtful of you. God replenish whatever the money will come from
DeleteYeah that's right. We can make it happen. We just have to share and this is what I really want to do this season. Lord Jesus make it happen for me and those around me.
ReplyDeleteChristmas hits different ways to different people's..
ReplyDeleteI love Christmas
My best season.
Stella Maris Baby
Growing up i really loved christmas because that was when everyone came back home and we all reunited, different gifts from different aunties and uncles, gisting with cousins(we usually pile up gist from January to December to offload when we meet), meeting new family members(babies born between Jan and November), the plenty chop chop and how everyone gathers in the kitchen while dinner is on fire. Good old memories 😁 😊😁
ReplyDeleteGrowing up with my grand parents was one of the best moments in my life.
Insecurity has changed a lot right now, no more trips, we hardly gather together like before anymore, some of my aunties are married and have kids now(they can't be traveling for long distance with 2-3 kids), it's just phone phone phone now.
Those memories are never leaving my head, my kids will hear about them and I pray I'll be able to create sweet memories for my kids when I become a wife and mum.
I'll be celebrating this Christmas alone if my mum decides to go to her cousin's place, but I'll definitely celebrate the new year with her.
My earnest wish is to celebrate 2026 Christmas in my husband's house with big belle(3-4 months pregnancy), so my mum can say "Zan je gidan Pam christmas 😊😊"
Wishing everyone of us a beautiful yuletide season. Amen
The season Christmas brings nothing but joy 🌲💃 That is the main reason for the season...the birth of Jesus our Saviour. Other flair & side attractions don't really matter, it should only add to it...bringing it colour & fun 🎊
ReplyDeleteAnd that is what we should teach younger generation 😊
Compliments of the season Doggedity 🌲🌲
This would be my first Christmas without my mom.Lost her August 13
ReplyDeleteMay her soul rest in peace. Be strengthened and comforted by the Holy Spirit.
DeleteMay God rest her soul
DeleteSo sorry. Please be comforted and may God continue to rest her soul.
DeleteOh dear, so sorry. May her gentle soul rest in peace 👏
DeleteHugs from here...pls think about the good memories you shared 💝
There’s something quietly difficult about Christmas as adults. Not the bills or the pressure - those are predictable - but the way the season exposes the fault lines in our society. Childhood taught us to expect magic; adulthood teaches us why some people never saw any in the first place. And that’s the part we rarely confront.
ReplyDelete@DOGgedity, your post today brushes against a truth we often sidestep: Christmas isn’t merely festive, it’s diagnostic. It reveals who has enough to romanticise the season and who is simply trying to survive it. The smells, the music, the memories - those are luxuries of stability. Many households aren’t missing Christmas spirit; they’re missing breathing space.
And yet, this is exactly why the season still matters. Not because of tinsel or nostalgia, but because it offers a rare moral pause. A moment when we reconsider our place in other people’s stories. When giving stops being a show and becomes a responsibility.
The real magic of Christmas isn’t in recreating childhood bliss. It’s in understanding that we’ve crossed the line from receivers to custodians. We’re now the ones who decide whether a child somewhere grows up with at least one warm December memory. Whether a neighbour eats a full meal. Whether someone’s dignity survives the season.
That shift - from innocence to stewardship - is adulthood. Not the loss of magic, but the task of becoming it.
So yes, celebrate. But also recognise the privilege of being able to. Use it well. Because in a world like ours, generosity is not a festive gesture - it’s a form of justice.
@Ebony Oge
My browser has not allowed comments since yesterday; you can try it 40 times before it goes.
Oge, when. Your browser does that, simply reload the page but make sure you copy your comment first. You can paste it back after you reload. That works for me.
DeleteChristmas is a always special time of year🌲🌲
ReplyDeleteThanks for this piece Doggedity👌
I love Christmas 🎄
ReplyDelete