Thursday, 21st


December 2017


info@eastcorkjournal.ie


29 Love is all around – Christmas Perspectives


tional Christmas Carols to a packed audience that gave a standing ovation at the end. The event brought back happy childhood memories of Christmases gone by for many in the congregation. The


set-


by DR ROSARII GRIFFIN There


are now only


four sleeps to Christmas day. Santa is truly on his way. The hustle and the bustle. The noisy din. The tinsel toys, the twinkling lights, the towering Christ- mas trees that brighten up damp and dreary streets. The smiles, the laughter, the chinking of sherry and wine glasses. People swing- ing branded designer bags, while others push overflow- ing food shopping trollies – in expectation of another famine no doubt. All going about their busy schedules, needing to be here and then there, to drop off this, to pick up that, to share in some festive event. And then, the big day arrives, and after a ‘full and plenty’ meal, people may finally get to relax, settled down, have a chat.


Santa Claus It is important


to see


Santa every year, and to check if the kids are on the good or the bad list. Mostly, they find themselves on the good list, which is a relief to everyone. When the kids were young, I used to visit every single Santa I could find. I think it was probably more for me than for them! Leahy’s Farm Santa and Mrs Claus was always a favourite, another time we visited Santa at Aunty Nel- lie’s. He usually paid a visit to Market Green, as did we. And of late, it has been Fota, which has been a magical treat every year. It’s great to see all the elves, the reindeers and their magic food, Mrs Claus cooking, and then the Sleigh, and how it is powered. Amaz- ing! So, we had the annu- al family picture of us all together with Santa in the centre. Another year over, a new one just beginning!


Festive Events Then there


are the


school Christmas nativi- ty plays, school children’s choirs and coffee mornings for charity. One evening, we enjoyed the local Par- ish and IMP Choirs chant through a litany of tradi-


ting was most peaceful in Church, with its acoustics hauntingly effective. Then there is the elevator music playing in commercial cen- tres: The world’s all-time favourite, ‘I’m dreaming of a White Christmas’ by Bing Crosby. Then you have old time


favourites


such as ‘Jingle Bells’, ‘Ru- dolph the Red Nose Rein- deer’ and ‘we wish you a merry Christmas’ for the kids. And the likes of ‘San- ta Baby’ by Eartha Kitt and ‘Last Christmas’ by George Michael for the more ro- mantic types. One of my own all-time favourites has to be ‘The Fairytale


of


New York’ (with the Po- gues), rather than the new cover version of it by Ed Sheeran. For me, that was a bad judgement call given its iconic song status, laden with memories and laced with originality, inspiration and zest. Sometimes a re- make can be a good call (like


Sinead O’Connor’s


rendition of Prince’s ‘Noth- ing Compares to you’ – but that is often the exception rather than the rule! Still, God loves a trier!


Christmas Viewing Another feature


of


Christmas has to be the TV watching list. Some of the all-time classics include ‘Sound of


Music’, ‘Willy


Wonkas Chocolate Factory’ and ‘Mary Poppins’. Other classic fun musicals might include


‘Annie’ or ‘Chit-


ty-Chitty-Bang-Bang’. For the older members of TV audiences, it will probably be Daniel O’Donnell or some variety show with a range of well-known and well-loved artists – the likes of Mary Black, Christy Moore and Phil Coulter, to mention but a few. The slightly younger generation, however, might get into some favourite


stuck box


sets of TV Dramas, such as


‘The Crown’, ‘House


of Cards’ and ‘Game of Thrones’ to mention but a few favourites. Others may want to look at a Review of the Year on current affairs, whilst


others bask in the


beauty of David Attenbor- ough’s ‘Deep Blue Planet’ series. I know a few people


@eastcorkjournal / #eastcorkjournal


would enjoy a compilation of the year’s highlights of ‘Strictly Come Dancing’, ‘The X-Factor’ and ‘Brit- ain’s Got Talent’. Whilst others would like the same from ‘Coronation


Street’,


‘East Enders’, ‘Love/Hate’ or ‘Fair


City’. personally would love


I know I a


complication of ‘Reeling in the Years’, ‘The Graham Norton Show’, or even the best of the Late Late Show. Of course, there is nothing better than moving away from the box and attending a real Christmas Panto- mime or Concert. We went to Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs at the Cork Opera House recently, and nothing makes you feel so young again as having to sing along and do the ac- tions of some current pop song you never heard of (much to the disgust of the younger


generation), but


whose lyrics and rhythm you quite enjoy! So pantos are for both young and old, especially with the insertion of multi-layered jokes!


Political Review And what a year it was


for Politics. Where did Don- ald Trump come from? We have all just about stopped reeling from that American upset in US politics. Since Trump, Twitter has become the main tool for commu- nicating political messag- es, personal opinions and breaking news, with Trump as the Master Tweeter. It seems to me that the me- dium suits


the messenger!


What has become apparent is that Trump has a fragile ego, first of all, stating that the crowds attending his inauguration exceeded that of Barack Obama (despite the photographic evidence clearly depicting other- wise); then he did his best to overturn Obamacare which benefits the poorest of the poor, and introduce tax cuts that


particularly


benefit the rich. It has been a year of ‘Fake News’: cli- mate change rubbished by the US President (despite the overwhelming evidence provided by the world’s best scientists). Real life has be- come a reality show, where personal opinion and prej- udices triumph over evi- dence-based facts. Such is the topsy-turvy nature of our political world to- day. Meanwhile, as Trump tweets on in the West, Brex- it has continued to cause a volcano to our East. Brex-


eastcorkjournal


iteers made promises of untold wealth by no longer paying into the EU budget (sounded good at the time), and fuelled by xenophobia, Britain voted to leave the EU. This meant untangling over 40 years of negotiated legal and trade agreements. Brexit has since become a total conundrum, as parts of the UK voted to stay in the EU (London, N. Ireland and Scotland), though the majority of Britain (Eng- land and Wales) narrow- ly voted to leave. Mostly Brexit was voted for by the older generations living in the northern heartlands (indicating a political dis- connect between the North and South). Now, that has left the ROI with a dilem- ma. How will the Border work with the Republic re- maining in the EU, and the N. Ireland not? What does that mean for trade tariffs, border controls and north- ern Irish peoples’ identity as Europeans? Only time will tell. Meanwhile,


Ire-


land now has for the first time, a gay Taoiseach of mixed race origin, which demonstrated to some ex- tent that Ireland has em- braced the modern era, and accepted a new reality within Irish political life. The next breakthrough will have to be the promotion and leadership of wom- en in every sphere of life. But,


thankfully, Christmas


has given us all a welcome break from all these politi- cal headaches, and instead, we can take time to focus on things a bit closer to home, like community, family and friends. Bring on the magic of Christmas!


The Magic of Christmas. The


magic of Christ-


mas is always enhanced by snow. At one point, it did look like we were in for a white Christmas, and in- deed, in some parts of the country, there was enough snow to have


snowball


fights and make snowmen. But, not all of the country was blessed with the white fluffy stuff. Nevertheless, Jack Frost still duly carpeted the lawns, fields and trees most mornings, giving the place a magical feel. And the fog, which has been the latest


arrival, also brings


her own magical touch, as it brings the horses (in the field beyond our house), magically in and out of view, like a fairy wonder-


land. Meanwhile, in our house, Santa lists are drawn and redrawn. The Christ- mas tree was brought down from the attic. Hours were whiled away decorating it with shiny balls, bright stars, happy reindeers and mischievous


elves. Then,


the crib was strategically placed in the middle of the mantelpiece, and various red and white candles were placed around the house. Holly was put up over doors and pictures, and decora- tions lined the cupboards and lights. Reindeers, Elves and Santa’s singing gnomes were placed on windowsills, and then everything was set for the big day. Certain- ly, Christmas is great


for


brightening up what would otherwise be a very dreary time of year. With daylight breaking so late and dark- ness descending in the early afternoon, the human incli- nation is to hibernate. One goes


and sorrow. It can be a time of financial hardship for those struggling to give their young the best Christ- mas they can, despite com- peting financial pressures to ensure that their loved ones are protected against


the


harsh realities of life and modern day living, when expectations can be so high. Nobody wants to disap- point. Depression can also be a living reality for a lot of people – the unseen and unnoticed black dog that sits by a person, unseen, unheard but deeply felt. So, it is a time to call on friends and family, on relatives and neighbours. It is a time of reconciliation and forgive- ness. It is a time of forget- ting the wrongs and hurts and wounds. It is an oppor- tunity to move onwards and upwards. The New Year is already well on its way. It is time to embrace the future with hope.


to work in the dark and comes home in the dark. A nice home lit fire, some candles, a warm glass of mulled wine, and a heat- ed mince pie with a dollop of whipped cream is just the job for these long win- tery nights. Mellow Christ- mas music playing in the background completes the atmosphere for the evening. All is well with the world from our cosy corner.


The Not so Magic of Christmas. Of course, this is a time


of year to think about those who do not have. It is a time to support charities, char- itable events, good causes and collections. Christmas carol singers are


usually


out and about singing their hearts out to bring good cheer to all. Meanwhile, in the background, unseen and unheard by most, or- ganisations such as Penny Dinners, St Vincent


de


Paul and Simon are going about their business, doing good work for so many peo- ple, in an attempt to ease their burdens at Christmas time. These organisations should be supported by all. It can also be a lonely time for the elderly and infirm, with families who may be abroad for Christmas. It may also be a lonely time, with many hearts breaking, as they remember loved ones who have passed on, often in an untimely way. Fond memories


can be


coloured by sadness, with feelings of loss, loneliness


Christmas Food and Drink Well, Christmas Day


will be the big one. Christ- mas Dinner is usually the main stress factor in most houses. Who does what? Who brings what? Have we


enough? How much


is enough? Recently at work, they sent out a Pow- er-point presentation with ideas on how to cut down over Christmas, so as not to ‘pig out’ and gain too many extra pounds or ki- los. Their tips are a bit of a kill-joy, but they are as fol- lows: swop cream dips and crisps for veggie sticks and salsa; indulgent chocolates for chocolate strawberries; cocktail


sausages for to-


mato mozzarella Skewers; iced Christmas Cake for one with no icing; mulled wine for Champagne. The last


recommendation, I


could live with! Then, they offered some boring kill- joy recipes for some bare tasteless ones that I will not bore you with, apart from a few reasonable suggestions: enjoy a little of everything, rather that too much of any one thing; position yourself away from the self-service buffet and snacks; be mind- ful of calories in alcohol and remember to hydrate with water; consider wrap- ping up leftovers for your guests to take home and finally, spend quality time with loves ones on a festive family walk!


Christian


Celebration Christmas is


a Chris-


tian festival, but celebrated broadly by most people liv- ing in the Western World, and beyond. It is important – with all the commercial noise at this time - not to forget that we are celebrat- ing the birth of the Christ and all that entails. In Eng- lish literature, the


poet,


John Milton in his poems ‘Paradise Lost’ and ‘Para- dise Regained’ depict the birth of Jesus Christ as the antidote to Adam (in Gene- sis). Milton’s poems depict Jesus as the Chosen one, someone who eventually makes the ultimate sacrifice by giving up his life to right the wrong of Adam. In oth- er words, Jesus was chosen to create a new covenant between God and the Hu- man race. So, as we cele- brate the birth of Christ, we are acknowledging the fact that Jesus is the Redeemer of the world. Hence all the Christian religious rituals, the celebrations, the Christ- mas Carols are created in acknowledgement and in celebration of this core be- lief. And Christian theory requires that all Christians also remember the poor, the downtrodden, outcasts, and the lonely at this festive time.


Soak it up. So, here’s to you all. I


wish you all a happy, peace- ful and loving Christmas. I hope you enjoy yourselves without over indulging on food or drink. Remember not


to drink and drive,


and mostly importantly, to wear high visuals jackets or clothing if walking or cycling. The last thing an- yone wants is an unexpect- ed family tragedy this time of year. Take time out to reflect on the meaning of Christmas. Take time out to rest, to relax and to read. Treat yourself to some in- teresting books, films or whatever takes your fan- cy. Ensure everyone helps with the housework and preparations as well as the clean-up. And finally, if you need help, ask for it. There are


people, organisations


and assistance out there for anyone feeling stuck. All you have to do is ask. So, for me, until next year 2018, I wish you all a very happy Christmas and every blessing for the New Year. Contact Rosarii at info@ eastcorkjournal.ie or @ rosarii_griffin.


Tel: 021 463 8000 • Email: info@eastcorkjournal.ie • Web: www.eastcorkjournal.ie


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