Today is Christmas

Today is Christmas, the day set aside by Christians all over the world for the religious celebration of the birth of their saviour Jesus Christ. It is observed with variety of services including carol, crib and services consisting of hymns and readings from the gospels which tells the Christmas story. It also includes lighting of […]

Today is Christmas, the day set aside by Christians all over the world for the religious celebration of the birth of their saviour Jesus Christ. It is observed with variety of services including carol, crib and services consisting of hymns and readings from the gospels which tells the Christmas story. It also includes lighting of candles around the church representing Jesus Christ coming as a light in the darkness of the world. Some churches even held special services up till this morning.

For many, Christmas is a celebration of peace, joy, happiness and solidarity. It is also a time of reunion, a time to forge new relationships and deepen existing ones, a time for marriages and weddings, a time for funerals and remembrances, a time for key family, kindred, village and town gatherings and a time for programmes and projects to develop both the church and society.

Customarily, families who can afford are expected to help the less privileged ones through exhibition of generosity. This sustains part of the culture that Christmas is supposed to be special for everyone, especially neighbours and strangers. It is a time to showcase the goodness of life no matter how dark the days of the year has been. This is more so as in reality at this Christmas, some families may not have money to buy presents or food for their children, family, and friends.

Still, what is actually being celebrated is that God gave the greatest gift to man through Jesus as He became man to redeem the world out of His love. Therefore, it is a time to heal wounds with neighbours and those we have wronged and forgive those who have wronged us. It is a time to rekindle a new life. It is a time to put a smile on someone.

Many Christians have been rightfully concerned that the solemn meaning of the day is getting lost in the consumerism that has come to define the season. Whatever the situation, the true meaning must never be lost in the hearts of believers that this is a celebration of joy and eternal hope for a better tomorrow.

As Daily Trust felicitates with Christians, we urge all to find meaning in the Christmas biblical story of angels and their message of “peace and goodwill to all people” that accompanied the birth of Jesus over 2,000 years ago.

It is true that this Christmas is holding in an era of escalating insecurity, economic hardship, hyper‑inflation, unemployment, youth unrest and systemic injustice. We therefore urge all celebrants to use this season as a time of fervent prayers to God for lasting security, peace and solutions to the country’s crisis; extending forgiveness and empathy to one another, fostering reconciliation and healing within families and communities; and embracing the spirit of brotherhood by being magnanimous in love, charity and compassion.

This is exacerbated by the inability of the envisaged benefits of the federal government’s “bold reforms” to tickle down to the generality of the citizens. There may be much of the much heralded Christmas bells and decorations as before, but the lessons should reawaken and strengthen qualities already embedded in humankind’s humane and communal life.

We at Daily Trust further urge Christians and indeed all Nigerians to use the spirit and virtues of Christmas to reorder their priorities about what is necessary, what is important and just in order to live in harmony with one another. After all, the central theme of the Christmas message the angels delivered was “on earth, peace, good will toward men.”

We also believe that this is the time to heal wounds with neighbours and those that may have wronged. It is time to rekindle a new life, to put a smile on someone. Celebrants should also remember that with every small act of kindness, every moment we choose hope over despair, every time we extend a helping hand to those in need, that we embody the true spirit of Christmas. We may not be able to solve all the world’s problems, but we can create ripples of positive change in individuals and our communities.

Even in this trying times in Nigeria, we must find rays of hope and joy in simple, age-old Christmas traditions, away from the frustrations of the day. This is part of rekindling another season of eternal hope for a better Nigeria.

We also remind Nigerians that this is the season to bolster the little things that show our kindnesses and harmony of our lives together, regardless of our beliefs or faith. Let the spirit of mutual respect, swelled by care for one another, be the kernel for Christmas 2025.

This will indeed rekindle another season of eternal hope for a better Nigeria. Merry Christmas.