My facebook addiction is strong, i wander amongst friends pages, faces i love and yet feel so far from. I laugh at their pictures and watch their video finds. Heidi lead me to 'downhere' and their song 'How many kings' , it's the video linked in this post. I downloaded the album, it's full of Christmas songs, some more comical like the track that sings 'five gold rings'.... yeah that's it, other tracks are old carols to modified music. It's joined the tracks playing out in the flat as December dawns upon us.
I hear of thing thing Christmas, the plans and the parties. There is such a mass of activity that surrounds the celebration, such gluttony and charity, such expense and effort. The streets of England will already be adorned with glittery and sparkly motifs. Lights will twinkle on and off as the snow falls and precious antiques are hung upon boughs and branches. Age old traditions will be justified to children's questions and Christmas lists will be formed and reformed as small hands try to imagine ripping paper off in the early hours of the long coming Saturday morning. Shops will cram more and more upon the already sagging shelves and motorised elves will move endlessly under giant Christmas trees in shopping centres.
I don't see this Christmas though. there are a few decorated trees in large shops, where you can see the tree through the decorations. The more international shops have some decorations though they are few and corporate in nature. As i make my presents to take home people question me, not on the idea of making a gift but more on the idea of grown-ups giving gifts. It's an odd feeling. December 25th is just the same as December 24th here. Unless you are registered catholic and not orthodox you are expected to work as normal. there are no twinkling of lights yet, though some may appear i hope. I have no mass of activity, and yet i still have the Christ, for his arrival now not marked in glitter but in the ordinary wooden cradle of a stall.
So i listen to my Christmas music, i have no decorations but i hope to make a few, perhaps even buy a few strung lights. it doesn't seem to matter. I will go back to the throws of Christmas in England in 2 weeks, but it will still be Christmas here, even if i need to wait until January before i hear the Serbians wish each other happy Christmas. Downhere start to sing, and they find my world almost accidentally....
A land adorned with snow, a tree silver and gold
A fire crackling along
Red and green decor, carolers at the door
And that family feeling is strong
Would it be less Christmassy if all of it were gone?
Even if nobody said, “Merry Christmas!”
And even the choirs and belfries made no sound
There would be peace on the earth and forgiveness
'Cause it's Christmas in our hearts
Everywhere you go the poor and orphans know
The Spirit is stirring the soul
As love and caring dare, beyond the standard fare
To get back what the world stole
Is anything more Christmassy, more sweetly apropos?
Sacred night so timeless
We, through shadows, roam
Lend your star to guide us
To our heart's true home
If every sleigh bell on earth just disappeared
The 24th of December, we start ringing in the new year
There will be peace on the Earth and forgiveness
'Cause there's Christmas in our hearts
from the Downhere album “How Many Kings - Songs For Christmas”