Searching for the lost Christmas magic

Every year on Christmas, I always reminisce about the past and search for my way back to that magical Christmas time.

Take me back to that magic – the magic of giving, caring and sharing.

When you grew up in the rural heart of Zululand without running water or electricity and people herded cows or worked in the sugar cane fields for a living, Christmas was an exciting time of the year.

It was not just one day, but the whole month of December was filled with festivities, games and, of course, family.

Long-lost aunts and uncles who worked in the big cities would return home for the holidays and the village would be filled with cheer.

My grandmother used to make a morning call for us to watch the sunrise as the sun ‘dances’.

She used to say Christmas was so magical, that even the sun celebrates through dance.

Believe it or not, until my teenage years, I still believed the story of the ‘dancing sun’ told by my gogo.

This is probably a story I will tell my children – just to keep the magical spirit of wonder alive.

Excitement first came from dressing up in new clothes and attending the special church service.

Christmas day was such an exciting time that we would sing songs, surrounding the Christmas tree with cheer, and my favourite event was the lighting of the candles.

We didn’t have a Father Christmas or anything like that, and presents were nothing to rave about – mostly it was school socks, books and just a basic toy but we cherished them.

After church, it was always about the family feast cooked on the open fire and, for us children, our excitement would be drinking colourful soft drinks that left our tongues and lips stained.

Now Christmas has become a show-off time and a period where young people consume alcohol like there is no tomorrow. Sadly, for some of them there is no tomorrow.

People do not have that old spirit of ubuntu, where neighbours treated each other like one big family.

In the midst of the festive season, I long for those old days and I’m searching for my way back to that magic – the magic of the past.

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