Cancelled or Not Cancelled, Merry Christmas to All!

By: Veronica Leighton

 

Are you looking forward to celebrating Christmas (if not cancelled), or just waiting for the coming year 2021 to start everything anew? Are you looking for 2021 as back to normal year?

2020 has not only been an odd year for us, not only in tackling the pressures of the pandemic but also facing the pressures that go into the presidential election that’s still unresolved until now.

Due to COVID, early voting was implemented and used just about everywhere, as was mailin or absentee ballots. But with these methods come an increased risk of voter fraud, or at least that’s what we are told. And that leads us to believe that the election as a whole could be affected by mail-in voting and not in a good way. Our way of life has actually been affected in a way, as we experienced the cancellation of our favorite Thanksgiving holiday, and even Halloween, and now the rumored cancellation of Christmas. This surely crates more stress and panic to many people out there.

Well, we are in the midst of tackling this problem and it seems that it leaves a lot of governmental issues hanging in the balance, as of this December deadline. Hopefully, the forthcoming issue and new year will give us answers that will make us happier and more hopeful for years to come starting in 2021.

Around this time of the year, the Filipino people, either back home or abroad, always find merriment in celebrating this fun Christian holiday. The Philippines is the only country in the whole wide world that celebrates this holiday for a long period of time utilizing all the BER months (September to December) for the whole country’s celebration. Go, visit the Philippines as early as September, and you will be seeing Christmas decors (lights and all) all over whether at home or in the streets or stores, hearing Christmas carols on radios, TV shows, and singing people, and especially the native food galore associated with Christmas or Pasko, such as, bibingka, suman, goto, puto bumbong with salabat, etc. Expats like us surely miss this celebration and we just think of the good memories during the years that we were living in Pinas. Nostalgia time.

Whatever the outcome is, whatever the future brings, here’s wishing all our readers, advertisers and friends a most wonderful time for your Christmas celebrations, whether you’re on lockdown or not. Always stay healthy and safe!

Enjoy reading, as usual, this special Holiday issue of Via Times. Your favorite columnists have special holiday messages and stories to greet you. Maligayang Pasko sa lahat.##

Veronica and VT columnist Maria Girlie Pascual in front of a well-lit Christmas tree, inside the Fogo de Chao Rosemont.