Tag Archives: Christmas

The final visit from the trio of Christmas ghosts takes Ebenezer Scrooge to a future—his possible future if he maintains his current pattern of behaviour. While Charles Dickens depicts this particular spectre as the most dreadful of the lot, it is actually the one who really represents the most hopeful …

“[…] A thrill of hope! The weary world rejoices. Long lay the world in sin and error pining, till He appeared and the soul felt its worth…” Excerpt from the carol O Holy Night. 2024 has been a very tough year! The word ‘pining’ captures our mood after the battering of …

Comparing Christmas past with what exists nowadays is something I wanted to do as a way of measuring change. It had been partly influenced by the memory of Charles Dickens’ classic, A Christmas Carol, which was first published in December 1843. I’d thought the story of the miserly, mean-spirited Ebenezer …

Everyone has their particular memory of childhood Christmas. It is one of those universally observed seasons that is inescapable. Even if you belong to a community that ignores or abhors it, the very act of spurning the commemoration leaves an impression of some sort. The month of December is probably …

I wanted to write something about the approaching season, and found this column from five years ago. It said most of what I wanted to say so I used it as the basis for today’s offering. There’s frenzy. And stillness. ­Gaiety and brooding. The full spectrum of human emotions stretches …

Ancestry © is possibly the most extensive software package that helps us to develop our family tree. Knowing your family history enables you to appreciate your identity. The story of Jesus in the New Testament begins with a family tree. In a strange twist, the genealogy by which Matthew attempts …

Of the many responses that came my way about how much Scrunter is beloved, this one was particularly striking: “Scrunter is my favourite! His songs have been playing on loop for me too all month! Pic hijab-wearing moi jamming to ‘Ah want a piece of pork’! There is no Christmas …

I’ve been on a Scrunter loop, studying lyrics, music, the melodies, the distinctive raspiness of his voice—and it made me want to pay tribute to this one of our outstanding West Indians. I’d interviewed him way back in 1998, and the article said much of what I wanted to say …

As Christmas is upon us again, the lyrics of Away in a Manger appear relevant today. Away in a manger/ no crib for his bed/ The little Lord Jesus laid down his sweet head;/The stars in the heavens looked down where he lay/ The little Lord Jesus, asleep on the …

I have never liked mixed peel, those little cubes of candied fruit of red, green and yellow that are ubiquitous ornaments for all manner of sweet treats. As a child, I thought they were spiteful additions to sweet breads, coconut drops, fruit cakes and the like. I reasoned that they …

Minister of Social Development and Family Services Senator Donna Cox used Christmas afternoon to share news of her ministry’s new First Responders’ Initiative, during a walkabout in Weekes Trace, San Juan. The First Responders’ Initiative will be formally launched in 2021 and aims to be more proactive in identifying needy …

Every now and then it feels necessary to step back from the daily bombardment of unpleasant news that can wrench your spirit into a forlorn space. It helps to summon cheerful thoughts that remind us that there is beauty around us, and that life very often goes on inside our …