8 Great Ways To Get That Spirit Back

These i stole from the latest issue of 8 days and i think it's so darn meaningful.

1. Tell everyone in your family how much you love them. And that your love is your priceless gift to
them this year. It's fiendishly clever. They have to accept the gift or else stand accused of having
lost the Christmas spirit.

2. Christmas has become too commercialised. Make all your presents this eyar - it's far more
personal and speaks from your heart, not your wallet. We recommend recycled ice-cream sticks
made into stars. Or glue them together, if you don't have the artistic dexterity.

3. Better yet, go to Little India and buy packets of spice, incense and perfumed water and give
those. Listen, if it was good enough for the baby Jesus, there's no reason why little Michelle should
be getting a Barbie doll, and how many GI Joes does Brandon need anyway?

I like number 3.. reminded me of how the 3 wise men honoured the Lord with gifts of myrh and
frankinsense.. beautiful.

4. Instead of battling the crowds at restaurants and spending all that money this year, spread some
straw on the living room floor, crank up the air-con, nibble on some stale biscuits and tepid water
and re-enact the Baby Jesus in the Manger scene. If that doesn't put Christmas into perspective, we
don't know what will.

Aint this beautiful? i honestly never ever thought of something like dat.. when i read this, it touched
my heart man..

5. Sign at least 5 Christmas carols - there's some really poweful mojo in them lyrics. Like Jingle Bells,
especially the Teochew version. And when you're done, round up the kids and take the show on the
road around your block. Spread the joy. It's Christmas.

6. Take the phone off the hook, turn the handphone off. This is your time with the family. Besides,
your annoying workaholic boss might call to demand that you cut short your holiday.

7. Remember that there are people out there who are far less fortunate than us, for they have to live
an achingly sad empty life without the support of a very large quarrelling family, a mortgage,
expensive gifts, an impending Visa repayment and ungrateful children. So remember them in your
prayers as you say grace over the Cold Storage turkey that you had to queue up for half an hour to
buy, because your wife was too bone lazy to roast it and instead, spent the afternoon playing mahjong.

This really slaps you in the face man.. one tight slap across the face dat makes you wake up ur ideas..

8. On a footnote, be sure to go to midnight Mass. Never forget whose birthday it is you're celebrating.

How true, many of us don't realise the real meaning behind Christmas.