As sure as night follows day, Christmas celebrations will soon be upon us. The tradition of gifting is tied in with the Magi, or wise men, who followed a star to Bethlehem with gifts to baby Jesus. It is a period of giving, forgetting self, finding time for others, discarding the meaningless, and stressing true values. It is a time to exchange presents to demonstrate affection, which has since been hijacked and turned into a multimillion-pound industry.
Likewise, at the heart of Diwali is the practice of giving and receiving gifts. Families get together to offer tokens of love, gratitude, blessings, and giving. It is a time for rekindling connections and expressing affection.
Buddhism emphasises the joy of giving, which is an essential practice. Giving involves relinquishing ownership to a recipient and being selfless without expectation of reward or praise. Giving is purely out of generosity, openness, and the capacity to embrace and love.
In Islam, giving generously and offering aid to those less fortunate is practised over Ramadan. It is common for fellow Muslims to exchange gifts to symbolise appreciation and support for loved ones’ fasting and spiritual endeavours.
It is heartening the joy of giving permeates across religions more conspicuously than an elephant in a room. It reminds us not to be trapped in a spiral of wanting and wanting more, ‘hoovering’ up and spitting out what’s left.
To quote psychologist Adam Grant, Takers like to get more than they give. Givers, on the other hand, will help whenever the benefit to others exceeds personal cost. Being selfless comes to mind, and also, not a million miles away from doing unto others with the concern and kindness you would like them to show towards you.
Some of us were fortuitously born in lands of plenty through no design of our own. Others have not been so fortunate through no fault of their own, brought up where there is little opportunity to better themselves. Meanwhile, the gap between haves and have-nots continues to widen, a social injustice.
Is that not reason enough for those more fortunate to help balance the imbalance? Not many of us can deliver great things. But most of us can provide a little help in a great way in whatever form that is beneficial to the less fortunate, for example, charity work in any form, supporting the lonely, elderly, and the sick, and monetary contributions. The list is endless. Every little helps to borrow a motto. Centrepiece is our willingness to donate a precious commodity – our time.
As French novelist Alexandre Dumas suggested, can we be all for one and one for all? How willing are we to prioritise inconveniences over conveniences? As the well-known saying goes, No man (or woman) is an island.’ It would be a shame to see what is before us and not have a vision. I confess I can do more and hope to do so.
In this spirit, I wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy & Healthy 2025.
Kenneth Ho
Now retired, Kenneth had a long career at British Airways HQ in London, where he worked in several roles. He enjoys badminton, travelling, cooking, and walking. He is married with two grown-up daughters and lives in Buckinghamshire, UK.
