The Spirit of Christmas

I represent different things to different people. To some I am an angel, a being they believe in yet cannot see; a comfort in their lives when things become too hard to bear alone. To others I am the spirit of loving generosity and kindness that comes at this time of year. And to others still, I am magic, the special feeling you get when you turn on your Christmas tree lights for the first time, find that they all work for once, and think how wonderful a time of year Christmas really is.

I do not come to you when you are madly dashing about the shops, searching for that last, vital present you need for Auntie Nell. Nor do I come when you do your last minute food shopping and start a fight with the store manager because it's Christmas Eve and there are no turkeys left and what does he plan to do about it? I come in times of peace and happiness, of warmth and care. I exist throughout the year yet am felt by most only at Christmas time. I visit your homes and watch you prepare for this most magical day of the year. I watch the children, young enough to still believe in magic, and the very young, who can still see me yet cannot communicate to tell anyone this.

I watch you now, in a household lovingly decorated for Christmas. It is Christmas Eve and a young couple sits entwined in each other's arms on the sofa. They stare wonderingly into the fire and I know that they can feel me, can sense my presence in the air around them although they could not put a name to what they are feeling. Their home is small and sparsely furnished, yet is lit with more warmth and love than a palace. A real fire burns in the grate and candles light the room giving a gentle glow that cannot be found with electricity. A beautiful Christmas tree stands in the corner of the room, carefully decorated and hung with tiny fairy lights that glitter in the firelight like stars. Cards decorate the room, well wishes from friends and family. But as I look at this couple, I see that all they need is each other.

She is curled up beside him, her head resting on his shoulder and a look of such happiness in her eyes. Beneath the warmth and happiness, there hides an even greater sense of delight, the wonderful feeling you get before you give someone a gift that you know they have always wanted, and you can hardly wait to see their reaction. She hides something from him, yet she does it for the purest of reasons. She is not certain herself yet, although her heart is in no doubt. Her hand moves unconsciously to rest over her stomach where she now carries a tiny child created from the warmth of their love and protected in her womb. She has not yet been to the doctors, and cannot know for sure, yet there is the softness around her eyes that every expectant mother gets when their baby is created out of true love.

He holds her gently, gazing fondly down at her. There is a sense of wonder in his gaze, as if he cannot believe he is so lucky to be a part of this woman's life. They are totally devoted to one another. The love that shines so brightly in their eyes out-shines even the brightest of the candles in the room. Theirs is a love that will not fade. Although they are young, and have yet to experience many of life's sorrows, there is an honesty and truthfulness to their love that will keep then together for many Christmases to come.

It is Christmas Day morning now, and I visit another household. Here it is a family Christmas with Mum, Dad, a young boy and a baby; all sharing in the magic this day brings. This is no typical Walton-style family; these are normal people, which make them much more interesting to watch. I place myself on top of their beautifully decorated tree, and give life to the ornamental fairy that tops the evergreen. From this height, I can gaze down at the room and share in the activities of each family member. The mother is in and out of the room, getting dinner, answering the door to carol singers and trying to stop the dog from eating the turkey. The baby has fallen asleep amid all the wrapping paper, seemingly unimpressed with the toys he has received. The boy has stuffed his face full of chocolate and now wears the look all kids get when they have eaten too much chocolate and feel sick, yet are absolutely delighted about it at the same time. The Dad meanwhile is trying desperately to reach level 3 on his son's new PS3 racing game.

Christmas is very much a time for the family, yet there are those who are unlucky enough not to have relatives to share this time of year with. It is to these people that I make a special visit at Christmas time. Today I can be found in a small council estate flat, where an elderly man sits alone, the curtains drawn and the lights off. He has no sense of Christmas spirit for he has no one to share it with. To outsiders he may appear grumpy and bad tempered but the truth of the matter is that he simply lonely. He is not a modern incarnation of Scrooge; he wishes to celebrate Christmas yet cannot bring himself to do so on his own. Once he had a family to share it with, a wife and a child, but his wife is now long dead and his son far from home.

Yet Christmas brings miracles and a ring of the doorbell brings the old man back from his memories. The door opens to greet him with a wonderful surprise, his son and his family stand on the doorstep, bearing gifts and Christmas dinner. Nobody should have to be alone at Christmas time.

Just as I am many different things to many different people, so too do I appear in many different forms. To the young lovers, I am the warmth they feel towards one another and the softness in the expectant mother's eyes. To the family, I am the joy of togetherness, of giving gifts and receiving them. And to the old and the lonely, I am the tear of happiness that comes when relatives call to bring you happiness at Christmas.

As the brightest star in the heavens I once led the characters of our great Nativity to their places. Just as I helped the very first Christmas to occur 2000 years ago, I will continue to bring happiness in the bleak of winter. For as long of people believe in me, believe in the unfailing love and warmth of human kind, there will always be magic at Christmas.