Merry Christmas, Nigeria
Today is Christmas Day, the day when Christians around the world celebrate the anniversary of the birth of Jesus Christ, who is also the central figure in Christianity. It is marked yearly on December 25th and features series of activities depending on the cultural peculiarities in any region. The Federal Government has already Tuesday and […]
Today is Christmas Day, the day when Christians around the world celebrate the anniversary of the birth of Jesus Christ, who is also the central figure in Christianity. It is marked yearly on December 25th and features series of activities depending on the cultural peculiarities in any region. The Federal Government has already Tuesday and Wednesday December 25 and 26 as public holidays to mark Christmas Day and Boxing Day respectively.
The significance of the day is accentuated by the global spread of its impact as it is marked by billions of people in virtually every country of the world, Christians and non-Christians alike. In the various parts of the world, the day and season feature a profusion of activities bordering on merry making and festivity in some places as well as prayerfulness and sobriety in others. This is informed mostly by the atmosphere of mutual love with exchange of goodwill messages as well as assorted gifts among friends and relations.
However, what is most significant about the day is the message of love which the reason for the season being Jesus Christ Himself, came and lived for. In His days on earth Jesus ran a ministry of love for the hurting humanity and even gave His life for sinful man. The government of the day failed to see the nobility of His message, which was not fixated on the political gains of the time, but on the destiny of mankind in eternity.
It is on that score of self-denying love that world leaders and other men and women of goodwill use the period to call for mutual love and peaceful coexistence among people across the globe. Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari has in the same spirit wished Nigerians the best of the season just as he also called for love and peaceful co-existence among the various ethnic groups that make up the country. Several state governors and other national leaders have also expressed messages of goodwill to Nigerians.
A call for peace to Nigerians at this time by the President is most welcome and enjoys a deeper significance, especially when viewed against the backdrop of the present state of affairs in the country. Unarguably, the country is currently facing a series of challenges as a corporate entity, with the situation also imposing on a wide cross-section of the citizens, personalized measures of stress. In the face of such privations as economic hardship, insecurity of life and property, insurgency in some parts of the country – in particular the North East region, militancy in the oil rich Niger Delta region, the year had offered the government and people of Nigeria much cause to worry about.
Meanwhile, added to the aforementioned is the forth coming 2019 general elections which are billed for February and March, just weeks from now. Given the proximity of the season to the polls it is expected that the high drama that precedes the exercise would inevitably rub off on the season. Hence the coming of the 2018 Christmas season is a welcome relief to Nigerians.
This is because, the season brings with it its own ambience of joy, goodwill and hope for better days. Interestingly the expectation of hope was built into the 2019 budget presentation speech delivered by President Buhari last Wednesday, before the joint session of the National Assembly. In that speech the President made a case for renewed hope of the people in the administration, when he outlined the various measures provided for in the 2019 budget pursuant to alleviating the harsh conditions of living in the country.
As Nigerians ruminate on the issues of 2018 in the face of the joy of Christmas, it is time to celebrate the love of God among men. Merry Christmas Nigeria.