Christmas can be a time of joy as families get together to celebrate over the holiday season.
In the lead-up to the big day itself, people are inundated with both religious and commercial symbolism as different visions of Christmas compete.
But for many, Christmas can be a very difficult time.
The societal pressure to spend, spend and spend can be stressful to those experiencing financial hardship.
For some, it’s even difficult to provide a special Christmas dinner for the family.
Others, who live alone by choice or circumstances, feel especially lonely as they see families all around them celebrating the holiday season.
Some are unable to get away to see distant family members. Some are estranged from their families.
Those who have recently lost a loved one such as a spouse, a parent or a child may find the first Christmas without that person to be especially difficult.
“It’s the first Christmas without Dad or without Mom and that can be a difficult time, that whole year of firsts,” says Pastor Phil Johnson of Osoyoos Baptist Church. “Christmas is a time that often has special memories for people, and it brings it home. They’re aware of it and it becomes difficult.”
Fortunately, there are many in this community who understand the challenge that Christmas can be for so many.
Some make a point of inviting a recently widowed or divorced neighbour to spend Christmas Day with their family.
Others volunteer their time or make donations to help organizations such as the Osoyoos Food Bank or the Kiwanis Club’s “Share the Christmas Spirit” program bring some Christmas joy to those who are less fortunate financially.
Students in Osoyoos Secondary School’s Social Justice 12 program engage in a food drive while learning about poverty, empathy and how to make a difference.
Local organizations such as churches and Desert Valley Hospice Society are pulling together to hold a Blue Christmas service at Oliver Lutheran Church on Dec. 21 for those who find Christmas a time of grief for whatever reason.
While so many organizations and individuals in the community do so much to share the spirit of Christmas as a time of giving, Osoyoos Baptist Church deserves special recognition for two of its initiatives.
Each Christmas Day for more than 15 years, the church has held a Christmas dinner for those in the community.
Unlike communal dinners in some other communities, this one isn’t just for those who are homeless or less financially fortunate. It’s for anyone in the community to come and celebrate Christmas with others.
Those who choose to can contribute financially or can attend the earlier church service, but there is no obligation or pressure to do either.
The Baptist church, which runs the Osoyoos Food Bank throughout the year, is also instrumental in the distribution of Christmas hampers to families in need. And many businesses and individuals in the community also contribute to this effort.
The commercialism of Christmas is a fact of North American life and for many businesses, both small and large, Christmas is a vital financial lifeline.
Whatever your beliefs about the religious significance of Christmas, it is wonderful to see so many in the community who are also making Christmas about giving and sharing with their neighbours.
