My Christmas — Past & Present. Christmas is never wanting to grow up…
By: Lanu Pitan
Tags: Spiritual Growth, Spirituality, Christmas, Spiritual Saturdays, Spiritual Secrets

Christmas is never wanting to grow up from the joyous season of my youth.

Photo by Rodion Kutsaev on Unsplash

SPIRITUAL SATURDAY

I grow up with my grandparents and was brought up under strict Christian values and discipline. My grandma was a Social Worker, so there was a very high standard of discipline, while my grandpa was an actuary, and worked in an Insurance Company.

There were two devotions daily in our house, morning and evening. My grandad played the piano so he always played to the traditional hymns during the devotion.

My youth was very traditional too, Church attendances, Choir Practice, Sunday School, (both as a student, and later as a teacher). Later in my early twenties, I joined the lay preachers’ class, graduated and was a lay preacher in a Methodist Cathedral before I relocated to the UK.

With such a Christian background Chrismas is obviously huge for us and the extended family that came to celebrate with us.

I never like attending Evangelical Churches because of the crowd, their auditorium style of place of worship and their mode of worship. I prefer the quiet subtle act of worship.

Christmas Celebration In The Church

First, there was usually an extended choir practice because of the special anthem, the carols and the cantata. As a chorister, I sang alto.

In Nigeria, virtually most of the children and adults alike will be in new attire for church on Christmas Day. For us kids, we would have two new attires. A simpler one for Christmas day, when it doesn’t fall on a Sunday, and a grandeur one for Christmas Sunday. It is still a big carnival-like celebration. I love carols and my favourite, ‘As with gladness, men of old’’ is screen-shot below.

Screenshot by Lanu Pitan

Exchanging of gifts as we know it today came later, not when we were growing up. However, children would buy groceries for their parents, and some elderly neighbours and those in the church. I have an adopted granny from another Church, who I always take care of. She was a friend of my grandmother from their college days. She did not marry at all and lived and worked in the Church (Foursquare Gospel Church). My granny said she has never had any interested in men, and had always wanted to celibate, despite the taboo about celibacy then in Nigeria. I loved her to bits, and she was very spiritual. She had a very high energy vibration, and would always sense the day I would visit her. She has never missed it. My grandparents and my adopted gran are all of the blessed memory.

Christmas Celebration In The Family

All roads lead to my grandparents’ house on Christmas Sunday (the Sunday after Christmas day). It is our celebration day. My grandparents had three children, my mum, my aunt and my uncle. They would all come with their children. My mum with my step-dad (my mum remarried after my dad’s death), and my other siblings. Big party cooking and merriment, and of course with music and dancing. Most gifts are groceries and or live turkeys, chicken and guinea fowls. We always have more than enough.

My Christmas Celebration Now

My Christmas celebration is toned down a lot as an adult. It is more spiritual than merriment. I normally attend after Christmas three-day Spiritual Retreat in Cologne (Germany), it runs from 28–31st December. I go every year, but it was cancelled this year because of the pandemic.

I am naturally a loner and protect my space a lot. I believe it is because I am an avid reader, one that demands quietness to concentrate, so I require that peace around me. I initially registered to read in Medium and took a while before I started to write.

My mum and siblings never like my wanting to be by myself, but they all agree that I am a happy exuberant personality, which they love about me. My mum wants me to come home (to Nigeria) for Christmas, but I declined. Partly because I am expecting her over in February next year (By His grace), and partly because I will soon move house.

My sister here also invited me over to spend the day with her and her family, I initially thought it would be a good idea, but decided against it later. I wanted to stay alone.

This Christmas, I watched Christmas service on the TV, listened to some classical songs afterwards. I wasn’t hungry, so did not even bother to cook on time. I chatted with my friends in Chicago, Maryland, New York. Winnipeg, and Toronto. I called friends and family members in Lagos, Kaduna and Abuja.

At about 3 pm, I decided to start my food preparation, and have carols on the background. I decided on a seafood platter. The platter is blue crab, which I love passionately, wild prawns and codfish. In my days in Nigeria, I would have only crabs for a meal. I try to buy wild seafood here, but they are still not as tasty as those in Nigeria. So the platter needs seasoning. In Nigeria, one only needs plain salt.

I only do slow cooking, as I don’t know how to cook under high heat. I had slices of mushroom and white onions with the seafood platter, and finish up with mulled wine. I video-called my mum to show her my platter. She wasn’t surprised about the crab. It is worth mentioning that I am also a good cook, and love entertaining as well as treat myself to delicious meals. I am very traditional in my eating. While eating, I put on my favourite carol.

My Christmas Passion

I am very sentimental with some carols and classical music. I still shed tears while listening to some. It started when I was in the choir. Emotion would swell up when singing. A particular one, Bach Cantata, Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring’’ by Johann Sebastian Bach, always have my fixation.

Bach Cantata — Jesu, Joy Of Man’s Desiring in symphony

And my favourite stanza in the carol is shown below:

‘’Holy Jesus, every day

Keep us in the narrow way

And when earthly things are passed

Bring our ransomed soul at last

Where they need no star to guide

Where no clouds Thy glory hide.’’

I always remember our then choirmaster, he would always encourage us to regularly attend practice, telling us that it would be all songs and joyous activities in the beyond. So, sing with all your heart, make a joyful song to the Lord, and start to practice now, he would say.

My Christmas Message

Love came down the first Christmas, so fill your life with love, and your love must be genuine. Pastor Rick says,

‘’Love is the only thing that can change the unchangeable. Love invigorates. Love revitalizes. Love renews. Love refreshes. Love is the most powerful force in the universe because God is love. It doesn’t say he has love; it says he is love. Love heals what cannot otherwise be healed. Love uplifts. Love strengthens. Love energizes. Love empowers.’’

“Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honouring each other” (Romans 12:9–10 NLT, second edition).

I did have a joyous Christmas. What about you?

Thank you, Darshak Rana, for the Spiritual Saturday Prompt, Christmas- What does it mean to you? and tagging me to take part.