Christmas is a time for togetherness. It is when families come together despite being separated the rest of the year. It is when those from abroad come home to experience the Philippine holidays. Or those from the city come home to their hometown.
The holidays are also a time to spend with friends we have not seen in a long time. They may be those we have made since childhood, or along the way as we grew older. In our busy schedules we hardly connect, and our only connection is social media. During this time, we celebrate real friendships—not virtual ones. They are like family. They sometimes know us better than we know ourselves.
Christmas is often associated with merrymaking. This is seen in the malls being full, or traffic being heavy. We say the Philippines is a poor country, but during Christmas season, it does not seem that way. It seems people have a lot of money to spend for gift giving. But it is the people who are the real treasures. The relationships are what have very high value among everything else.
Tonight as many Filipino families gather for their traditional meal, we should remember that it is the family, inspired by the family that sought shelter in a manger because nobody would take them in, that is the most important cause for celebration.
From the Manila Standard family, Merry Christmas to our readers.