THE SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS.

Auckland Star, Volume 304, Issue 304, 23 December 1926, Page 6 (Supplement)

THE SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS.

PETER PANS CONCEPTION OF, THE MEANING. HAVE YOU CAUGHT THE GERM? Christmas bells and all that they stand for are actually here in our n.idst, and again, that jolly old fellow, old Father Christmas, as jolly and friendly as ever, tends their merry notes jingling and welcoming to all we mere mortals. Some there are to whom this sound -will be an unknown thing, but thank goodness they are few and far between, for, after all, who cannot " stoop " to the heights of just a little make-believe at least once in a while. Surely no one can be deaf to the message of these bells, and boys and girls in every school must long with one accord for the joyful moment when school books may be finally closed; when lessons which have suddenly become unusually irksome are ended, and they then are free to answer the magic call of the Christmas t>ells. The close of the year is a busy and anxious time to many of you, bringing as it does a more or less dread period of examinations, followed by a breathless space of breaking-up preparations, but it is wonderful how soon, once we go to meet it, the car Christmas spirit enfolds us all and makes us forget in a flash even such sobering events as examinations and prizes, lost or won. This year you rub your eyes and gaze with the same eager delight and wonder at the evidence of joy and festivity that Santa Claus and his assistants have prepared in the fairyland of Christmas shops, where the days have become one long, absorbing treasure hunt. lam sure that you will agree with mc -when I say the gift that gives most pleasure to the giver and to the receiver is the one that is bought at the last moment, the gift that is bought because a sudden " something" said to you that that was just what so and so would like, and into the shop you have gone and bought the gift, and either warmly pressed it into the hands of your chosen one or else carefully smuggled it into the house and brought it out at the Christmas breakfast table, and delivered it with a warm handshake or similar token of friendship. Such a feeling is only to be had when the germ of the " Spirit of Christmas " has been caught and is firmly established in the red corpuscles of your blood. That magic spirit is only to be found when the Christmas spirit is thoroughly awake in all our hearts, causing us to share the delight in the children crowding to greet Father Christmas, and loving to hear their rapturous joy over the wonderland of toys and bright colours which his coming means to them, even if we are perhaps not tiny enough to be counted among his subjects. We must not forget, of course, that the loveliest thing the Christmas spirit can do for us is to touch us with the desire of generous giving—unselfish giving—so that the sight of so much happiness and -wealth of treasure makes us think of other little ones less fortunate and expectant, and resolve, perhaps, to send to them our message of Christmas love to some lonely hearts in our hospitals and other institutions. Christmas joy shared is Christmas joy doubled, and no doubt many of you will go through such moments of realisation, and consequently bring to these hearts, too, a closer realisation of Christmas; and I know that the result will be as warm a glow in your hearts as it will be in theirs. I hope, too, that this Christmas will be as happy and jolly for each of you as you could wish. The air is full of the sense of excitement which always preceeds this festival day, with the delightful anticipation of parties and jollity ahead, to be followed by the dawning of Christmas Day itself. Then to the most fortunate will come holidays at the sea or away in the hills, and such a programme of joyful days and weeks must surely make all sober grown-up people see that this is indeed " the children s season. And so i do hope that it will be full of laughter and happiness for you all, and to each one I wish the best that can be conveyed in the old, old _^»""""'^ greeting, " Merry Christmas and a f \J Ir j./j^i*'*^ Happy New Year," from ( *T Qf&_\/s^'^