Christmas Through The Hard Times

It represents good times of yore, good times today, and good times to come.

Through hard times, Christmas has proved enduring.

Today being Christmas, I don’t expect any of you to do much reading. I trust you’ll be spending the day with loved ones and partaking in good times, as well as remembering why we celebrate the holiday. I, too, need a break from it all, and I’ll once again be responsible for feeding the family on this holy day, so I won’t have much time for reading nor writing myself.

If you do get bored and wish for some reading material, however, consider the following essays. Both re-runs from 2017, one talks about what Christmas in Venezuela was like as the country’s economy fell apart. The other is written by Selco Begovic, who talks about what Christmas was like during the Bosnian War.

Let’s read some excerpts. First, J.G. Martinez D discusses what Christmas became like when the country hit hard times:

Without money, and cash scarcity, traveling is very hard. Many people have restricted their family gatherings. Prices of bus tickets are very high for the common person, and airplane tickets are a joke. 75% of the national flights fleet is on hold because of lack of maintenance.

I have not known of anyone with kids in the last 4 years that could buy a new attire for themselves to use on the 24 and 31 December nights. Most of the available money is for 24/31 December dinner, or kid’s toys, if any.

Many kids these years have received a very simple toy, instead of those most expensive and fancy ones. And many others have not been able to receive any toy at all. They have seen people looking inside the garbage bags for food, and despite their age they seem to understand what is happening and don’t ask for expensive toys to baby Jesus, leaving the parents to relieve some pressure and get them whatever they can.

However, the hard part is that many kids were used to going to visit their grandparents, and nowadays this kind of family trips are just not possible. There is no cash, collapsed transportation, no parts for the family cars. You get the picture.

Selco discusses what Christmas became like in the wake of his country’s devastating civil war:

Everything was different when SHTF, yes. Living was hard, comfort was gone and everything was stripped“\ down to the bare survival. Lot of small commodities that we usually do not think about (we take it for granted) was simply gone because of obvious reasons (the whole system was out) but also because simply life becomes full of hard duties, to finish simple tasks and obtain resources becomes hard, dangerous and time-consuming.

Celebrations become rare and not so happy and big (not even near) but at the same time, they become more precious and needed too.

Get-togethers (family) become even more important because people lean much more on each other between groups or family, simply because they needed much more support – psychological. too – than in normal times.

A lot of religious people lost their faith when they saw family members dying. On the other side lot of people found God in those desperate times – as an only hope.

Being together with family members for small “time off“ become almost like small rituals, like a ritual of finding inner strength and support in order to push more through hard times.

Yes, religion was a big part of it, but it was not only about religion. It was about finding the strength in you and people close to you – family, and sharing it between each other.

It’s all very depressing, but that’s not why I’m sharing this. I’m instead sharing it because I want everyone to notice something: despite the terrible fate life threw their way, people were still determined to celebrate Christmas, how ever they possibly could. The thought of not celebrating it was probably harder than making the effort to do so.

That’s because, whether or not you’re the believing type, Christmas has always represented hope. It represents good times of yore, good times today, and good times to come. It’s why the holiday appeals to so many around the world, even people of different faiths. It’s a shame that the holiday, at least in the West, has lost its religious roots, becoming hijacked by people use it solely for their own pleasure and vanity. At the same time, I think it’s a testament to the power of Christmas that so many people find it worth celebrating, even despite not believing in the grand legend underpinning it. Christmas isn’t even the holiest holiday in Christianity - that mantle goes to Easter - yet it’s the one whose appeal never fades, even in our post-Christian era.

Unfortunately, there are many of us out there who are losing hope or have lost all hope. There are many for whom the holidays have become burdensome. Many are spending the holidays alone, with no idea when the day may come when they won’t have to any longer. I myself have stopped wondering if I’ll ever bring a special someone with me home on Christmas, or whether I’ll have a family one day of my own to share the happy times with. I do so not out of despair, but out of resignation. Shed no tears for me.

The holidays can be a hard time, but just remember: if people suffering the unimaginable are celebrating, so can you. The holiday isn’t about you. Remember that harder times lay ahead for this country; when we get there, Christmas will mean even more than it does now. You can count on it.

Though she never needed to, the speech the late Queen Elizabeth II would’ve probably delivered in the event of World War III breaking out in the 1980s invoked the enduring power of Christmas:

“When I spoke to you less than three months ago we were all enjoying the warmth and fellowship of a family Christmas.

“Our thoughts were concentrated on the strong links that bind each generation to the ones that came before and those that will follow.

“The horrors of war could not have seemed more remote as my family and I shared our Christmas joy with the growing family of the Commonwealth.

In some ways, it’s a shame we never got to hear this speech, because these are the words we need to hear now, more than ever before:

“It is this close bond of family life that must be our greatest defence against the unknown.

“If families remain united and resolute, giving shelter to those living alone and unprotected, our country's will to survive cannot be broken.

“My message to you therefore is simple. Help those who cannot help themselves, give comfort to the lonely and the homeless and let your family become the focus of hope and life to those who need it.

“As we strive together to fight off the new evil let us pray for our country and men of goodwill wherever they may be.

“God bless you all.”

I couldn’t top that, but allow me to share in closing something I said at the start of the year, inspired in part by the Queen’s speech. If nothing else, let it serve as a reminder that our lives serve a purpose, that we’re here because we’re supposed to be:

Above all, remember who we are - Americans. We are a people who settled wild, uncharted territory, spilled our own blood into that dirt we stand upon to create a civilization which was, until now, the envy of the world. Perhaps it’s that very envy which is driving such relentless efforts to undo everything our ancestors have created. Whatever the case may be, even when they’ve taken our freedom, the one thing they can never take away from us is who we are. As long as we don’t surrender to despair, as so many of our fellow countrymen already have, our will to survive will never be broken.

So prepare and stay aware, but also find joy in your life wherever it can be found. Don’t isolate yourself from the world; make family and friends a focal point of your life. Get out there and make some new friends. Maybe even start a family of your own. Don’t be afraid to tell everyone who we really are; don’t let our enemies say so. Exercise that freedom of speech while we still have it in spades. Most of all, be the light which shines most brightly in the darkness. Be that rock for others to lean on. When everyone else isn’t sure what comes next, be the one who says, “Just follow me.”

Merry Christmas. Never quit celebrating. I’ll talk to you after the holiday.

Max Remington writes about armed conflict and prepping. Follow him on Twitter at @AgentMax90.

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