Saturday, December 23, 2006

Colors of Christmas

It's a multicolored Christmas this year.

You can have a blue Christmas, a green Christmas, or possibly a traditional white Christmas.

According to the DHS, it's a yellow Christmas in the United States, unless you're flying, in which case it's definitely an orange Christmas. (Here's their press release.) If you're in Indonesia, there are extra security warnings connected with the season.

Enter any color at all in combination with "Christmas" on Google and you'll get a gazillion hits. This is mainly because you can now buy Christmas ornaments in any color at all. If you can imagine it, it's out there for sale on the internet.

Here in Tecwil, it will be an ordinary beautiful tropical day. Most people don't do anything different on Christmas day itself, and there will be merchants selling vegetables out on the street just like always. Christmas Eve is the time when people stay out late - sometimes all night - and make a lot of noise with firecrackers. I love being here for Christmas, largely because it really is a religious festival here and not an excuse to spend vast sums of money. You're either celebrating Christ's birth or you're having a regular day.

And the colors - well, not white, definitely. There are the red poinsettias, not indoors as house plants but outdoors as trees. There is the glorious blue sky. Sometimes there's a little extra electricity lighting up the night.

Have a wonderful Christmas, wherever you are and whatever color it is.

No comments: