A Merry Christmas

New Zealand Tablet, 27 December 1906, Page 15

A Merry Christmas

Why do we say a ' merry' Christmas, why a ' happy ' New Year ? All of these ages-old expressions have a "deep significance,- which custom causes us to pass over lightly. We can be ' merry ' for .a daymost' of us. We can be 'happy ' for" a year— all of us.- It is superfluous to say ' a happy, merry, Christmas,' because to be merry one must first he happy. ' A merry New Year ' is out" of the. question ; no one but a paid jester or a fool could be merry for a whole year. /\~ .

1 Merry 'Christmas ' has a delightful sound. Every letter in it seems to laugh to the accompaniment of -tinkling hells. Merry Christmas conjures visions of resplendently decorated fir trees ; of stockings bursting ■with gifts ; of delicious, viands and jesting talk ; of mirthful music; gladsome , song and jo-lly games. Now, every one cannot r or- will not have that- sort of a Christmas. Some of us . every Christinas find a " vacant chair-, where a dearly-loved' one sat last Christmas. Notwithstanding this, we can be happy, since it is sinful to be unhappy and to repine at the will of .God, although for the " mourner" there is n.o ' merry ' ■ Christmas. Religious generally prefer the ' happy ' Christmas greeting ; their favorite form is ' a happy, holy Christmas.' A greeting suitable to everybody is * a happy Christmas ' (or ' a -peaceful ' Christmas' '), 'and many, joyful ' (or 'prosperous') ' returns of the , New Year.' To a sufferer in one of: the hospitals some years ago a friend sent ""-an original^ greeting, 1 The peace of Christmas he yours, and the hope of many strong and Kappy New Years of life !'— a wish that' came true. ■