When snow falls and all is calm and bright
Many people still believe that it isn’t really Christmas if snow doesn’t fall on Christmas Eve! Peace and the anticipation of a new birth somehow merge with a snowy landscape, that at least for a little while instils towns, squares, villages, fields, meadows and forests with a certain tranquillity. A walk on Christmas Eve is therefore a unique experience. The aggressive noise and bustle of everyday life is reduced, although many people see this day as an opportunity for noisy merrymaking amid the stalls of a Christmas market. In the relentless year-round rhythm of hurrying and scrambling after one goal or another, modern human beings need a little peace, at least once a year. How picturesque our towns and villages can be on Christmas Eve, when the roads and paths are totally empty, but a special festive light shines forth from the windows of the houses, telling us that people are celebrating the holiday in peace. For some people, this holiday has a far greater significance and is an integral part of their religious consciousness. For others, Christmas Eve and the day that follows are simply a holiday, a festivity, without any deeper meaning. And yet: is not the fact that we take a little time for ourselves and our loved ones and gather together around the fireplace (or these days the electric oven!) in itself already a deeper meaning?
Janez Bogataj