Out of the 195 countries around the world, 160 celebrate Christmas, invariably, honoring the birth of the Prince of Peace, Santo Niño, which took place between 6 and 4 BC, in a manger in a cave in Bethlehem, now beneath the Church of the Nativity, Christianity’s oldest site. The actual manger relic is currently housed in the Basilica Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome.
The first recorded Christmas celebration was on December 25, 336 A.D., in Rome, about 2,000 years ago, and all the festivities were religious and social, with Baby Jesus at the center. Fast forward to today, where the lack of reverence during Christmas, sadly, appears to be common:
The Uninvited Celebrant
When the international celebrity Marilyn Monroe, in her sexy tight-fitting gold gown that hugged her shapely figure, in May of 1962, sang “Happy Birthday, Mr. President,” the attention of the world was momentarily focused on her, but John F. Kennedy, 45, on whose honor the party was being given, was still center stage, the man of the hour, where the spotlight was redirected. And rightly so. After all, he was the honoree.
During this season, jolly old Santa Claus, with his famous white moustache, beard, and long curly hair, red baggy outfit, and winter black boots, a most popular figure at Christmas, is given the glory. Every year, he gets the honor, and men, women, young and old, and children of all ages, have accepted him as a symbol of Christmas itself — holiday cheers, gifts, food, and merriment. He appears to have a monopoly on the reverence, and the spotlight was mostly on him all throughout the festivity.
It almost seems that without Santa Claus, there would not be any reindeer, no sleigh, no stockings, no gifts, and no Christmas. Ask any child, and that would invariably be the answer you get. Santa Claus is very important during this holiday. Without him, there wouldn’t be any Christmas. There won’t be any gifts. He is, after all, the bearer of gifts from the North Pole. That’s what the children are led to believe, unintentionally, I am sure, but nonetheless, that’s the subliminal vibe they get from us adults as they grow up in this material world where priorities are sometimes twisted.
Everything during the Christmas season, including our conversation and greetings, is about Santa, about parties, food, drinks, and gifts, and about all the material things we can buy in this highly commercialized world of today. Many of us hardly talk to our children and amongst ourselves about the true meaning of Christmas, the Birthday Boy, the celebrant Himself. About His wonders, His greatness, and His ultimate sacrifice for us.
Are we off track, focusing too much on ourselves, on the material and earthly things, and too little on the sacredness of Christmas?
Yes, I think we are, and, sadly, most inappropriately. We seem to have lost our focus, and Jesus, the celebrant, is often relegated to the background, even forgotten during His own birthday party. Shopping, food, and merriment preoccupy and overwhelm everybody’s mind during this holiday. The honoree, the Main Event, the very reason why we are celebrating in the first place, is no longer on center stage. Sometimes, I feel that we have even neglected to invite Him to His own party. In many cases, He is nowhere to be found, because He may not be a conscious priority on our mind on this busy and festive occasion. The sheer joy of the celebration and the loud Ho! Ho! Ho! seems to have drowned Him out. We seem to be missing the significance and the holiness of it all.
Isn’t it time to put the birthday Boy back on center stage, where He belongs, and to honor Him in the right spirit? After all, this is His party. And we are only His guests.
To one and all, a Merry Christmas, and to our Santo Niño in the manger: Happy Birthday, and thank you for the gift of life and for blessing us once again with the privilege of being invited to your celebration this year. – From us at MALAYA.
And as we celebrate this sacred day and hydrate ourselves, here are some vital medical tips:
Distilled water: unhealthy
Drinking distilled water as the main source of liquid daily is not as healthy as one might think. The widespread misconception that distilled water, being the “purest,” is the best water for drinking is scientifically and medically flawed. Drinking distilled water regularly every day is a health risk to everyone, especially to children. In the Philippines, popular bottled distilled water includes brands like Absolute, Wilkins, and Nature’s Spring.
Distilled water may be used temporarily or occasionally as drinking water if filtered water purified through an 8-stage reverse osmosis is not available. Distillation removes all valuable minerals like fluoride, calcium, and magnesium, etc., which are vital to our health. Distilled water is for machines and laboratory use, not for human consumption.
Distilled versus filtered water
Distilled water, as we have alluded to above, is the purest water one can get. But for drinking, our body needs the minerals naturally present in water from Mother Nature. What we need, which modern-day 8-stage reverse osmosis filtration does to water is the removal of the chlorine and other contaminants, such as harmful heavy metals, parasites, bacteria, and odor, to make drinking water safe and palatable. Drinking distilled water regularly leads to a 15 percent deficiency in calcium (osteoporosis), a 30 percent deficiency in magnesium (heart rhythm, abnormality), and almost 100 percent in fluoride, which results in tooth decay. Distilled water is not the best for the human body. Glass (not plastic) -bottled filtered water (not distilled), manufactured by reputable companies, is the safest water to drink today. Tap water, in general, is no longer safe because of environmental pollution and contamination.
Alkaline water: a waste of money
The hype about alkaline water as a healthier choice is nothing but a profit-motivated scam victimizing misinformed, unsuspecting, gullible consumers. Ingesting alkaline water daily is dangerous for healthy people.
Conditions where drinking alkaline water is justified: when a person has cancer or other illnesses, which make their blood pH level too acidic because the acid-base buffer system is not functioning properly. Some of the life-threatening complications of regular consumption of alkaline water are metabolic alkalosis, which could lead to gastrointestinal problems (nausea, vomiting, hand tremors, muscle twitching, and skin irritation. A bit acidic stomach works best in killing bad bacteria, and alkaline water will deprive the stomach of its normal physiology and protection…and leave your wallet with less money.
Today, nothing beats clean, 8-stage filtered water in glass or stainless steel containers (no microplastic contamination!)
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The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff.
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Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, a Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus based in Northwest Indiana and Las Vegas, Nevada, is an international medical lecturer/author, Health Advocate, medical missionary, newspaper columnist, and Chairman of the Filipino United Network-USA, a 501(c)3 humanitarian foundation in the United States. He is a decorated recipient of the Indiana Sagamore of the Wabash Award in 1995, presented by then Indiana Governor, US senator, and later a presidential candidate, Evan Bayh. Other Sagamore past awardees include President Harry S. Truman, President George HW Bush, Astronaut Gus Grissom, pugilist Muhammad Ali, distinguished educators, scientists, etc. (Wikipedia). Websites: FUN8888.com, Today.SPSAtoday.com, and philipSchua.com. On Amazon.com, search for “Where is My America?” Email: scalpelpen@gmail.com