The true meaning of Christmas.

It's no more - or less- Yuletide than Christmas Romola. Surely it's what you chose it to be?

This town used to be relaxed and had a sense of community, but so many new houses have been built, also we are so overrun with tourists, that the place feels tense and overcrowded.
To go back to the original point of this thread, most of us are cultural Christians and still call the festival Christmas, but really it is the Yuletide, the turn of the year. And we humans certainly need something to cheer us up at this dark and cold time.

Luckygirl3

This is why I live in the country - no-one passes anyone without a greeting. Cities make me shudder.

Some cities are actually more friendly than some towns. I think it generally the cities that "feel" quite small such as Edinburgh, Dublin, Florence, Paris, York, etc., they seem to maintain that sense of community.

Luckygirl13, we live in what is officially a village, but we’re a really big village, getting even bigger with new houses. During Covid times when family could visit, we had a walk out with my grandson. As I greeted everyone we met, he said “Grandma, do you know everyone?’ Later on when we met someone else and we smiled and said hello, grandson said “Who’s that?” I replied “I don’t know them M, but here everyone (well mostly everyone) smiles and greets each other whether we actually know them or not.” I hope he picked up a message about community and engaging with others.

Tears to the eyes

Lovely thought provoking video. This could easily be the Christmas advert for Guinness which was shown on the pump when the barman pulled a pint.

This is such a beautiful ad, I started to tear up watching it. Good for Charlie’s Bar/Pub for putting this out. Everyone needs to see it.

I have already sent to various groups of family and friends. I hope they pass it on and others pass it along throughout the country. We need some TLC spirit in parts of the US.

Another meaning of Christmas for me is children - whether they are looking with starry eyes at a Christmas tree, snow or Santa - OR looking starry eyed at Baby Jesus in the manger, Children singing in a choir at Christmas service.
Merry Christmas to all of you!
USA Gundy

A lovely video - makes much more sense than the Venus fly-trap and the three women on sledges! 😂🎅🏻🎄

Just watched it and had a little weep. Loneliness is a terrible thing.

Just watched it - I am in bits, shreds!

Beautiful ad. So glad I live in a beautiful village that has the same ethos, you can't step out of your front door without everybody acknowledging each other one way or another. Age makes no difference.

Brought a tear to my eyes. It goes to show how animals can, and do have the ability to bring people together, they have much more insight than any human.

Thank you Katek.

I can recommend small market towns as places were the community seems to look outwards to everyone.

Lovely bit of film.
The true meaning of Christmas is a mix up of pagan winter celebrations taken over by Christianity.
Fine by me.

I’ve heard dogs are great for meeting people!

I used to wonder why all the religious ‘evangelists’ used to target me when I walked down Tottenham Court Road on my way to work when I was in my twenties. Then I realised how few people make eye contact with others in London. It seems people just aren’t seeing the old man in the ad, because they’re not seeing anyone. It takes a dog to notice he needs a friend!

Doodle

Really got to me too. Loneliness one of the greatest sorrows for so many people and for so many reasons.

DH and I always try and make eye contact, smile and say hello to everyone we pass when out. It has made for some very interesting encounters over the years including one with a woman we knew only slightly from smiling at her and saying hello whenever we passed on our walks. One day she said, “my husbands just died” She said she needed to talk to someone and although she didn’t know us, because we always said hello she felt she could speak out. We were with her for over an hour.

Just smile and say hello sometimes that’s enough to help a little,

That's beautiful to read...

Milliedog I so agree, but..
even then, this is so prevalent.. I attend a church regularly, and quite a few of us are elderly etc... but nothing being said or planned for Christmas, other than usual Christmas Day service, then......I know,,, but what I say, seems to fall on deaf ears

It's an absolutely beautiful ad, but is it really the 'true meaning of Christmas'? Isn't the true meaning of Christmas that 'God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life '? All of us live lives on earth that will one day end. But beyond that? The true meaning of Christmas gives us the hope in that wonderful verse. Happy Christmas everyone!

This is why I live in the country - no-one passes anyone without a greeting. Cities make me shudder.

Following on from RosiesMaw’s post, so true what you say.

Before we moved to our current home we used to visit the area most days in the afternoon for a walk. We passed on many occasions an elderly gentleman (ex military I would guess) who walked hands clasped behind his back and bent down low so he was looking at the ground. For that reason we never made eye contact but we always said hello when we passed.
For a long time we got no response then he started saying hello back. If he spotted us walking towards him he would straighten up a bit and smile and say hello. This carried on for months.
The day we moved into our home we did our usual walk and for the very first time he stopped and started talking. We ended up over the years, with long conversations, with him leaning against the railings so he could support his back and see us. We continued this way until he sadly passed,

Good point namnanny about being invisible, people are not at all surprised to see an old man or woman on their own - nothing unusual but what lies behind?
I like to think that they might look out for him another day, greet him with a smile and a chat, maybe even get to know him and become friends.
He will go home with a warm feeling from the human contact, look happier perhaps and who knows, others may also give him a smile and a Hello. (I am available for tear-jerking Christmas ad scripts, just call my agent)

Lovely ad, very thought provoking. It costs nothing to say hello.

Lovely story Doodle, I'm sure it really helped that lady to talk.

Going from a couple to being on your own can be devastating but l agree that making eye contact and speaking to everyone that you can really helps. Having a dog also helps, my new rescue, Toby loves everyone and is an icebreaker for starting a conversation.

Just call me Maud (lin) .

It is RosiesMaw. Younger people are usually so swept up with their own lives (as we were too I suspect), and his age means he is invisible to most. Makes it all very poignant.

Call me a misery, but I can't help but think of how he will feel when they go their separate ways.

Somewhere in the back of my head there is a Gilbert O'sullivan song, Alone again Naturally.

I agree. Very moving and thought provoking.
Unless you have known the loneliness of this man, it is hard to understand the impact of the young couples gesture of friendship, isn’t it?