Welcome back to the Sunstone Way.
I hope you had a great Thanksgiving with family and friends. The Keisler clan certainly did.
Did you manage to survive all the special shopping days, from Black Friday to Cyber Monday? It’s awfully easy to get caught up in the commercial aspects of Christmas and the rest of the holiday season, even when we promise ourselves to not get carried away this year.
Giving Gifts A Tradition
I’m betting that you received Christmas gifts when you were a child. I certainly did.
The tradition of giving gifts to loved ones, especially children, stretches back thousands of years. Some historians trace it back to Roman days and a mid-December party called Saturnalia, in honor of Saturn, the Roman pagan god of agriculture. It took place around the winter solstice – the shortest day of the year – and included feasting and gift-giving Roman style.
As Christianity spread in Roman lands, the mid-winter festival morphed into a celebration of Christ’s birth. Many of the same traditions continued, and gift-giving was even strengthened through the story of the Three Wise Men bringing gifts to the baby Jesus.
More Giving Opportunities
Gift-giving isn’t restricted to Christians – far from it. The Jewish holiday of Hannukah is typically between late November and mid-December, but falls on Dec. 25- Jan. 2 this year. While gift-giving during Hannukah is a newer tradition, it is firmly rooted today.
A tradition in Asia, particularly in China and Mandarin speaking countries, that takes place on Christmas Eve is giving apples. Christmas Eve, or peaceful night, is ping an ye in Mandarin, and the word for apple is ping guo or ping an guo, so giving apples is a metaphor for giving peace.
There are alternatives even within the Christian community. Dec. 6 is the feast day of Saint Nicholas, and begins the holiday/giving season in many countries. Epiphany, the 12th Day of Christmas on Jan. 6, is the more traditional gift-giving day in Spain, Italy, Mexico and Nicaragua, among other places.
Those In Need
Do you remember the scene in “A Christmas Carol” where two men entered Scrooge’s office seeking donations for the poor? It was the defining moment for the miserly pre-Spirits Scrooge. And the charitable post-Spirits Scrooge is the moral of the whole story.
Sadly, there is just as much need today as there was in Victorian times. And helping the poor is still the definition of the Christmas spirit.
There are many nonprofit organizations who work hard to help the poor and unfortunate this time of the year, and donations are always welcome. There are toy drives for children, food drives for the hungry, and they run all the way through December.
It doesn’t take money to show your giving spirit, either. Those same nonprofits need volunteers to help cook and serve meals, organize the toys for the giveaway, get them to where they need to go. Serve a holiday meal at the Rescue Mission or another dinner for the poor and you will see true gratitude for something you take for granted every day.
Making A Difference
Bottom line, this holiday season should be a time of joy, a time of giving. It’s a time to light up children’s faces with the excitement of presents, and it’s a time to make the community just a little bit better for those less fortunate than us. Even giving a Happy Holidays can brighten someone’s day.
We try to do that year-round through the Sunstone Community Fund. But this time of year adds a little more incentive to do a little more. Happy holidays get happier when we give.
Thank you for all you do to bring the Christmas Spirit to life. After all, that’s The Sunstone Way.
And always remember to be a Sunstone!
John Keisler
CEO & Managing Partner
Sunstone Management, Inc.
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©Sunstone Management, Inc. 2024