Caledoniyya

As the Christmas period winds down from its initial high fever and we start preparing for the New Year, spare a thought for those whose Christmas cheer was in deplorably short supply.

In the Gaza Strip Christmas has been a muted affair, with Santa lugging a near empty sack and celebrations conducted in the midst of a sombre atmosphere.

For many, this Christmas has been yet another reminder of the loved ones they have lost; for others it is merely another fearful day in which attacks are imminent and further losses anticipated.

In a recent report by ElectronicIntifada, Father Manuel Musallam, head of the Holy Family School in Gaza City, related the sentiments of Christian and Muslim Gazans alike:

Santa Claus is empty handed this year…insolvent. All forms of celebration are absent. We Christians and Muslims all live in fear and instability. The Israeli tanks, bulldozers and warplanes have laid siege on us all.

Musallam’s sentiments are echoed by Jaber al-Jilda, the Sunday school headmaster of the Greek Orthodox Church:

This year’s celebrations are mainly religious. We want to celebrate, but our hearts are full of pain and grief. We cannot celebrate and at the same time watch as the funeral of another killed by Israeli occupation passes in front of our church.

For the children growing up in besieged Gaza, Christmas has become even more depleted than in previous years.

Prior to the second intifada in 2000, Christians and Muslims would gather at Gaza’s main square on Christmas Day, as a large Christmas tree was set up in the square.

As Santa Claus handed out gifts to people on the street and chocolate was distributed in the schools, this year the municipality could not afford a tree and due to the Israeli seige, no chocolate has been available.

Equally, Christmas decorations have been absent, as the tools for drawing and decorating are scarce, and the ingredients for festive cooking are either too expensive or unavailable.

Father Musallam and al-Jilda have become creative however, arranging strawberries in the schools and offering religious books instead of chocolates, dresses and more traditional gifts.

But as Father Musallam concludes, despite the lack of gifts, cakes and trees, there is always something else readily available, regardless how dire circumstances might become: 

Christmas is about forgiveness and peace. It begins with a child. If we each plant a tree of happiness in our children’s hearts, the fruit produced will be peace. I send my love and respect to the world at a time when our people live in hope, and in despair.

Let us hope that the coming year will bring peace to Gaza, and that by next year the little tikes will be stuffed with chocolate and the tree dazzling away in Gaza City.

[Also via: IPS]