In a couple of weeks, people around the world will celebrate the Christmas festival. Celebrations will take place by eating special types of food, listening to many forms of Christmas music, and practicing traditions handed down from one generation to another. Their celebrations will become times of renewing and building group identity.
The Christmas festival serves as a way to bring affiliated individuals together, either for solidarity or to educate children and to share a variety of traditions. In a real sense, they unite the family with wider communities, often sustain family traditions, and create family memories.
This Christmas season, what will you enjoy? Although I will miss the foods and friends of Asia this Christmas, I will enjoy being with family. (Our children seen to the right.) As mentioned, Christmas sustains traditions and creates family memories. Establishing family traditions is a great way to create a sense of togetherness, family harmony and family identity that can carry through from generation to generation. Do you have any family traditions during the Christmas season? For your family, family memories will come from Christmas this year?
This Christmas Season, I will also enjoy the faith I have in Jesus Christ. Needless to say, although food, friends, and family provide Christmas festivals with distinctiveness, faith unifies all those who celebrate Christmas. I look foward to thanking God for coming to live among us as Immanuel (God with us). The Bible says,
Therefore the Lord Himself giveth to you a sign, Lo, the Virgin is conceiving, And is bringing forth a son, And hath called his name Immanuel. ( Isaiah 7:14, YLT)
May this Christmas be a time that you will enjoy food, friends, family, but may it also be a time to enjoy your faith!
Journeys in Culture 
