Secret Santa and Elf – Photo by MWO Carter And Capt. Ezeonwueme
As the month of November hits the twilight zone, everyone begins to gear up for the “grand finale” month of the year; December. The name December invokes the feeling of festivities throughout the world.
A lot of people seem not to know that apart from Christmas, there are lots of other festivities that have rich traditions in history, such as Kwanzaa, St Nicholas Day, Boxing Day, Bodhi Day, Hanukkah, and Yule; just to name a few. The month of December however, for Christians and uniquely for Roman Catholics, marks the beginning of one of the most adorable traditions of waiting for the birth of Jesus Christ. This mood of waiting is called the Advent.
Etymologically, the word Advent comes from the Latin word “ad-venire,” which literally means “to come to.” Ordinarily if one is expecting a visitor of a kind, one must get ready to receive the guest. So, Catholics use the four weeks of Advent to get themselves ready for the coming of Jesus as the Savior of the world.
This waiting culminates in the birth of Jesus which is one of the biggest celebrations throughout the world. What makes the Advent season interesting apart from being a time of personal and spiritual sanctifications, is the prayers and the galvanization for gifts, food drives and raising of funds/clothing for charities throughout the world.
Here at 4 Wing Cold Lake, the Chaplains take the lead in encouraging the campaign for food Hampers and Angel trees. There is also the “Secret Santa” program, whereby the single living-in members who are staying back on the Wing will receive gifts at their doors from Santa and his elf.
December can also be a challenging time for different people and could be a difficult time for some of our members in the Canadian Armed Forces. Some members may be tasked and may not get some time off with families, while others may still be on deployments away from families. That is why it is always so good to check in with our colleagues, making sure no one is left behind.
Whatever traditions you come from, or you belong to, there is always something to celebrate in the month of December, so sit tight and enjoy the ride, everyone.