Christmas Thoughts

At last I have completed my Christmas shopping. It was such a chore having to crack my head on what presents to buy for each and everyone in the family, each with their different interests, likes and dislikes. Not to mention the traffic jams and human “jams” I had to go through, one on the way to the mall and the other in the complex itself.

And to think I am not even a Christian and neither are my children and grand children.

But then again, the religious significance aside, isn’t Christmas also about a wish for peace on earth and of goodwill to all mankind.

So what better way to express this than starting with one’s own family – getting together to love and to give. In the larger scheme of things, I can see fellow Malaysians of different races and faiths visiting and mingling with one another at Christmas “open” houses to cement or renew friendships. I also see charitable organizations, the church groups in particular it being Christmas, visiting the disadvantaged and the aged with gifts to spread the joy. All in the name of peace and goodwill.

Come to think of it, these kind of universal values exist in most of the major religious or cultural festivals celebrated in Malaysia.

Muslims celebrate Hari Raya Adilfitri to mark the culmination of Ramadhan, the holy month for contemplation, self-restraint and purification, noble aims too for any decent human being. Besides the obligatory prayers, "this festival marks an important time for Muslims to unite as a family in the exchange of love, blessings and forgiveness" (from here).


The Buddhist Wesak festival isn’t just about marking the birth of the Buddha, his Enlightenment and his Departure. Ven. Dr K Sri Dhammananda in his article (Celebration of Wesak) said “This is how we should celebrate Wesak: use this opportunity to reiterate our determination to lead noble lives, to develop our mind, to practise loving-kindness and to bring peace and harmony to mankind.”

And when Hindus celebrate Deepavali, it is to remind them of “the return and coronation of Lord Rama after a 14-year exile to Ayodhya after his victory over evil in the form of Ravana.” (from here).
Or simply the triumph of good over evil, a universally accepted fact.

This is the beauty of our country. Come any festival, after the respective obligatory prayers and other religious observations, people of a particular Faith can celebrate with all and sundry. After all they are celebrating peace, goodwill, love, forgiveness, kindness, harmony and goodness.

So stay SECULAR Malaysia. It is the only way open for us, Malaysians, to thread the common ground together towards fulfilling our shared values and hopes amidst the diversity of our respective faiths.

I leave you with this refrain from the song “Joy to the World” –

Joy to the world
All the boys and girls
Joy to the people everywhere you see
Joy to you and me

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR