The Muppets movie is not about Christmas, yet at the heart of the film is the essence of what Christmas is to many people today: family and friendships.
When the Muppets realize their bid to raise $10 million to save their studio has failed, Kermit reminds them what is really important is that they had found each other again and revived their friendships. And isn’t that what the Christmas season does year after year?
It is the one time of the year when friends and family find a way to reunite, be it through personal contact, a telephone call or simply a Christmas card.
Yes, Christmas is about celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ and that should not be forgotten. But the reality is that the Christmas season has evolved to mean much more.
Beyond the religious aspect, Christmas means different things to different people.
To children Christmas is about presents. To parents it’s about keeping the kids happy without breaking the bank account. To teachers and students it’s about time away from school.
The one constant is the desire to get together with family and friends. So dig out that old phone number that’s been neglected for months, maybe even years, and call an old friend, or a family member. Or make that walk down the street to say hello to those people you used to visit often.
No matter how one celebrates the actual Christmas day, it’s what we do with the time around Christmas that is at least as important. Chances are sons and daughters are home to visit, along with Grandma and Grandpa, and the grandchildren.
It may be the only time all year we get to share with all the family so let’s not waste it.
Enjoy the food and don’t overdo the refreshments. Celebrate the day in your preferred manner.
But above all else, enjoy family and friends. Take advantage of the unseasonably warm weather to get outside and have fun. It may be a stretch to say it’s a white Christmas but that shouldn’t stop us from taking advantage of all that St. Albert and Alberta has to offer.
Take the kids to the outdoor rinks to skate or play a little hockey. Gather the neighbourhood kids for a rousing game of road hockey – and don’t forget to invite the adults to join.
There may not be enough snow to build Frosty or to cross-country ski but there probably is enough to go tobogganing. The weather is ideal for taking that walk along the trails or to take your out-of-town visitors to show off your city.
Forget the television — well, except maybe for some of those marvellous Christmas movies or the world junior hockey — and remember what this time of the year was like when we were all kids, when all we wanted to do, once we tired of opening the presents of course, was to have fun.
And let’s face it, we’re all just big kids at heart. If the spirit of Christmas can cause the Grinch’s heart to grow three sizes, then surely it can touch each of us enough to enable us to set aside any issues long enough to smile and say Merry Christmas.
And if you run out of things to do, well, there’s always the Muppet movie to remind you how valuable family and friends are.
