Moderating The Merriment Of Yuletide

Christmas is here again and already the joy of Yuletide is in the air with various programmes put in place by government, religious bodies and individuals.

It is a season that dovetails into New Year celebrations and is filled with the highest level of pomp and pageantry.
Arguably, Yuletide is the best season of the year for festivities.
In fact the celebration has become a tradition that cannot be wished away from generation to generation.

Governments have also learnt to officially join in the celebration as social responsibility to their citizens.
For example, the Akwa Ibom Government this year has created a lot of programmes to celebrate the season and make it’s people happy.

Some of them are the creation of a Christmas Village that has witnessed close to a million visitors in the last two weeks and the hosting of the 2019 State Christmas Carol event.

It has also become a tradition for salaries to be paid early before Christmas to enable workers to celebrate with their families.

Governments that were buoyant used to pay the 13th month salary as part of measures to make the season memorable.
However, there are often some excesses in the celebration of the season that have made critics to question the necessity of Yuletide.
A situation where prices of goods and services skyrocket in the name of celebrating Yuletide has always drawn the flaks.
For example it had become common in the past for artificial scarcity of petroleum products to be created and untold hardship inflicted on the people.
Such attitudes at Yule have led many to question the celebration of the season.

But Yuletide is more than a show of materialism and exploitation that some have often exhibited.
However, there is need to call for moderation in the celebration of the season and to focus more on the soul lifting aspects that will bring peace and joy to mankind.

Religious bodies are doing their uttermost best to moderate the season in line with what the birth of Jesus stands for which are love, joy, peace and togetherness.

Those celebrating the birth of Jesus must do so with gladness of heart and in a peaceful manner.
Their peaceful activities at the season will always constitute glad tidings to people around them.
On a last note, while we wish everyone a merry Christmas and happy New Year celebrations, we call for moderation in the merriment to celebrate the season.