Christmas is a fact of life, and history records this eponymous event of the Christian era which commenced a little more than 2000 years ago in a stable in Bethlehem. It is also recorded that Christmas was first celebrated in 354 A.D., over 300 years after the birth of Christ. Then the Church decided that December 25 should be celebrated as the official Birthday of Christ. It was also hoped people would forget their old customs. But they didn’t entirely.
One of these was gift-giving, which is actually a borrowed tradition believed to be older than Christmas itself, and goes back to the New Stone Age when food was exchanged between farmers at mid-winter. There was a practice of giving presents during the last week of the year. The Egyptians exchanged gifts on a day which they celebrated as a special feast, but the gifts were of one kind and all gave and received the same kind of present.
This practice was considered as a form of social bonding. However, times have changed and today, the reality differs from what it ostensibly proclaimed.
In fact, one is today inclined to wonder if there is any room left in our pretentious state for the real Christmas festival. This view is prompted by the prevalent governance gap that those in power are simply unable to bridge. There is no question of a “new” India that the state can claim to be aiming for. It is still the very same India we always knew.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة December 2020 من The Teenager Today.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة December 2020 من The Teenager Today.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
STICKING OUT YOUR NECK!
Maybe it's having the twins, my grandsons from New York, back home again, that reminded me of a conversation I had with them a couple of monsoons ago: \"What's that?\" asked one of them pointing to a huge shell on the ground.
Hippos can get airborne while running fast
Hippos weigh up to two tonnes, but these bulky creatures can go airborne for a period of time.
Tree bark plays a vital role in removing methane from the atmosphere
Trees are known for removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, thus benefiting the climate. New research shows that they offer one more benefit.
Lunar caves could shelter astronauts on the moon
Scientists have found an underground cave on the moon not far from where Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed 55 years ago.
Manasi Joshi
The Para-Badminton World Champion
International Day of Peace
In Search of Non-violence and Cease-fire
Non-Violent Communication
How to cope with conflict situations
FR ALOYSIUS G. REGO
A short-statured bearded figure glancing through a pair of spectacles, cane in hand, and head swinging with every step, was the most feared figure in the galleries of our school, St. Joseph's Collegiate, Allahabad.
The Architects of the Future
As we celebrate Teachers' Day on 5 September, students from St Charles School, Santacruz East, Mumbai, have come together to share their thoughts and perspectives on the challenges that teachers face in today's rapidly-changing educational landscape.
JUNG & KOOK
With music, stories and news of K-pop all over the place, on Instagram, Twitter, Thread and other social media platforms, and dozens of boy and girl bands emerging from South Korea, believe me when I say that K-pop is irresistible.