It’s Christmas and, on the eve of the birth of Jesus Christ, it is usually the time to make some reflections on the meaning of that event more than 2,000 years ago in Bethlehem.

What does Christmas mean today?

Is it just another occasion to make merry, to party all night and to celebrate with friends? Or should it make us reflect on who we really are and what good can we do in our society to make it better?

Over the years, Christmas has become a materialistic occasion. We buy presents for each other, we decorate our homes, and we go out and eat lavishly. But Christmas is much more than that.

Christmas is a time to be together, to spend some quality moments with the people who mean the most to us. It is also a time when we should think about others in need, those who do not have the means to buy a turkey, but who will eat a loaf of bread just like any other day.

Those of us who “celebrate” Christmas are lucky to be able to do so. Others do not have this possibility, and yet we tend to forget that these people exist. Often, we do not accept that there could be other people who cannot enjoy Christmas as we do.

And yet there are many people out there for whom Christmas will not be a joyous moment this year. Some may have lost a loved one during the course of this year. Others may have family members who are sick in a hospital. Others still may have seen their family broken up. For them, Christmas will never be the same.

Let us also not forget the people who need basic material items which we all take for granted. And, with this in mind, we urge one and all to give their share – however small that may be – during the annual l-iStrina campaign which this year will be held on Boxing Day.

The Malta Community Chest Fund needs the money to be able to help the hundreds who turn up at its doorstep each year, pleading for some kind of financial assistance. We should all make it a point to make that phone call or visit the Lufthansa Teknik hangar to give our contribution.

Most of all, we should bring Christ back into Christmas. It is sometimes sad to see Him left out. For one thing, we should all write Christmas, and not Xmas, because by going for the shorter version we are already eliminating the real reason why we should be celebrating tomorrow.

May your Christmas be blessed with real joy.