CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR NOT A DO-OR-DIE AFFAIR

The weather no doubt has changed; wetness has given way for dryness, as farmers are getting set for bush burning. The scourging sun and dry breeze with its accompanying dust, and the intense heat at night bring about a thousand complains of fever and weakness of the body. It all points to one thing; that the Harmattan is here again. Now, in the hearts of virtually everyone, two huge celebrations are by the corner: Christmas and New Year. No celebration brings joy and happiness to the mind more than these celebrations: the Christmas carols, the friendly visits, the family meetings, the round table dinners, the night rendezvous, oh! They are all splendid. These therefore call for a great preparation.
Howbeit, the kind of preparation required to celebrate Christmas and New Year has been over the years misunderstood by a good number of persons; both old and young.
When Christmas and New Year celebrations are seen as avenues to showcase how much one has acquired throughout the year; using a flashy car, wearing designers ware, throwing money on occasions and drinking to stupor, indisputably preparations would be geared towards making lot of money within the shortest time. This unarguably will amount to an involvement in nefarious activities. There is now a high rate of robbery, houses and stores are burgled, traders and travelers are waylaid by bandits, girls are on the street, and kids are used for rituals; we must be on the WATCH!
Here is the great irony: preparing to celebrate the Prince of Peace and the grace to see yet another year, with crimes and sins. Obviously, a lot of persons have lost the true meaning of Christmas and New Year.
Christmas is a time of sober reflection of how well we acknowledge the price Christ paid for our redemption, by our righteous ways and deeds as a token of our gratitude. New Year on its own provides us the opportunity to make a resolution on what vice to leave as we strive towards perfection. So then, the noisy, reckless, and flamboyant celebrations to call attention do not in any way fit in here. Hence, preparation should be a spiritual one; more of a sober reflection and to examine our ways, for in that way, we should have achieved the purpose for which Christmas is celebrated.
Christ for whom it is celebrated does not accept reverence on the ground of personal appearance and he vehemently frowns at anything called sin. It is therefore advisable for people, especially our young ones amongst whom this exuberance is common with, to desist from such and begin to see the yuletide not as a do-or-die affair. It is expedient also to think of our neighbours in all we do.
Happy celebrations in advance!