Blue Christmas, Red Christmas

“We should learn the true Christmas lesson of gentle and thoughtful kindness…”- J.R. Miller

There is a Christmas tradition in the west called Blue Christmas. It happens on the longest night of the year. During this day, some churches hold a church service to honor people that have recently lost a loved one or are experiencing grief. The long cold night of this day is said to amplify depression in so many people that a special service was needed to help them. The tradition acknowledges the fact that some people, by circumstances or affliction, find Christmas a sad occasion.

The concept of blue Christmas has been around for more than a century. From a dispatch by a British general in the 1900 of how his country would have a blue Christmas to a song entitled, “Blue Christmas” sung by Elvis Presley about a sad Christmas in 1957, people have been mentioning or singing about this phenomenon for ages.

In the Philippines, there are many who feel depressed during the Christmas season. It may be because of a recent loss or tragedy. It may also be caused by financial woes or isolation from family. There are also those who suffer from an affliction called seasonal affective disorder that can occur during the long Filipino Christmas season. Whatever the cause, people that suffer this seasonal sadness find it painful to hear Christmas songs and see the bright lights everywhere. Normally, most Filipinos dismiss this malady by saying that this sadness is caused by the lack of mental and emotional fortitude. Worse, some fundamentalists even question the person’s religious conviction.

Perhaps, it is time for us to be more sensitive to people's feelings this Christmas. Instead of forcing everyone to be happy, we can make sure some people just get through this Christmas despite their sadness.

Red is a traditional color of Christmas along with green. There are some Christians, however, who advocate that Red Wednesday, which is celebrated in November, can be extended to the Advent season. Red Wednesday is the day the Catholic Church remembers the Christians in some parts of the world who are still persecuted for their faith. Some say that a Red Christmas service should be practiced for Christians around the world who risk being punished or worse getting killed for celebrating Christmas. Many are shocked to learn that in some countries, Christians are prohibited from observing Christmas traditions. In this day and age where Christians are normally portrayed as the big bad of intolerance, we forget that Christians too can be victims of intolerance and persecution. Even in Christian countries, there are some sectors that discourage Christmas greetings to allegedly avoid offending others. Even in this age of inclusivity and political correctness, I believe that it is imperative that Christians remember to keep the Christ in Christmas in a spirit of mutual or universal tolerance of beliefs.

There is a feeling that more and more Filipinos are beginning to buy into this culture of hate and intolerance of other people’s views. This Christmas, would it be too much to ask for people to be kinder to each other and remember the true spirit of Christmas?

This is my oblique observation.

Editor’s note: The opinions expressed in the foregoing article are solely the author’s and do not reflect the opinions and beliefs of the Philippine News Agency (PNA) or any other office under the Presidential Communications Office.