Craig Dodge - Blog

The longer I live in Taiwan, the more distant a memory Christmas becomes.

Christmas is not part of the culture here, at least not in the way I grew up with. It's just another work day,  like any other work day. Some people (mostly retail stores) put up Christmas trees, lights and other decorations, but there is no feeling behind it. Some  bus drivers wear Santa suits, but people just think it's funny. You should see the stares as I walk down the street with my Santa hat.

What's missing is Christmas Spirit. How can I explain Christmas Spirit to my Taiwanese friends?  If you ask 10 different people what that means, you'll probably get 10 different answers, but whatever it is, people change at Christmas. People are a little bit more kind, friendly, joyful, generous and just generally nicer during the Christmas season. They are happier, more hopeful and even smile more. Christmas Spirit is a feeling that makes us forget the negative, even if just for a short time, and appreciate everything more. And,  being so full of this positive feeling, people want to sing Christmas Carols,  share with others by giving gifts to friends and family,  and maybe even help out less fortunate people by donating to charities or volunteering at a homeless shelter.

So Christmas is not about the tree or decorations or songs or presents, but it's about the feeling behind all those things.

When I was teaching at ChuLin, we had Christmas parties in some of my classes and we actually found some Christmas Spirit.

The other morning I saw a report on CNN about a group of people who go around to shopping malls to surprise people by singing Christmas music. It wasn't just the singing that really touched me, but the feeling of the people singing as well as of those who were listening. It was so touching.  I want to share the video with you and while you listen to the singing, watch the people's faces and see if you can feel the Christmas Spirit.

Merry Christmas!