The night before Christmas ...

Yes, time is ticking by fast indeed and in less than 24 hours it will be Christmas eve; the night before Christmas when that legendary character with the snowy white beard ,twinkling eyes and jolly old face makes an appearance. It's the time children all over the world wait in great anticipation, filled with excitement for the arrival of Santa Claus. And how many of you add to the vast numbers?

In most western countries it is customary for children to hang Christmas stockings near the hearth or close to their beds for Santa to fill with gifts (most of which they have asked for by sending him a letter) .They also leave a plate of cookies and milk for Santa under the Christmas tree. Does anyone of you plan on doing the same? Yes?

Well, it is true that many people frown upon the concept of Santa Claus and his magical trips around the world in a sleigh driven by reindeer, to deliver the toys in the wish list which children send him. However,as little children simply love him Santa is a hard character to ignore, come every Christmas. So, like it or not , Santa is here to stay. And no matter what people say , he adds magic to the festivities during Christmas.

Why not let Santa sprinkle the world with some of his magic? Who else but Santa could do so while he flies around the world in his magical sleigh with Dancer, Prancer , Dasher, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Dunder and Blixem, not forgetting Rudolf the red -nosed reindeer?

If one is to go by the famous poem 'Twas the night before Christmas believed to have been authored by Clement Clark Moor originally and later Major Henry Livingston Jr., Santa comes at a time when ,"all through the house not a creature was stirring ,not even a mouse".It is the popular belief that Santa Claus makes his appearance at midnight and so children strive to keep up till that time to sneak up on him or at least get a glimpse of him as he makes his quick getaway after filling up their stockings. But alas! This generally proves to be a futile effort. Keeping up till midnight seems so very, very difficult. The eyelids somehow refuse to stay open. How stubborn!

Of course some children do succeed in keeping awake but unfortunately they do not get to see him even when they do so. Why? Because Santa knows they are awake. Remember Santa is a magical person and he knows everything. He know when children are awake, just like how he knows whether they have been naughty or nice .

Here's the crucial question. How many of you have mailed your wish list to Santa and are counting the minutes for the great moment to come? And how many of you remembered to add a gift in your wish list to give a poor little one in your neighbourhood on Christmas Day? Forgot? It never crossed your mind? Well, it doesn't matter. Maybe you could spare something from the loads of gifts you are bound to get from family and friends this Christmas. After all Christmas is all about sharing and caring, isn't it?.

You may wonder why Santa cannot give the poor children some toys himself without waiting for you to do so. Of course he can , because he is loaded with gifts ,but he expects you to celebrate Christmas in its true spirit. The gift you give a poor child from your load of presents will definitely be a more valuable gift of love than what Santa gives.

Quick! If you had not thought about bringing some Christmas cheer to a wee heart longing for something special this Christmas, it's still not too late to do so.

You can always leave a note for Santa asking him to give one of your toys from the list to the poor child. Or you can buy something special, maybe even some new clothes or food and give it yourself , gift wrapped in love and tied with a ribbon of peace.

Don't you think it will be a truly wonderful gesture this Christmas?

Miru

Do not expose your pets to danger

Once again the sound of fire crackers will be heard from all corners of the land now that the festive season is on. It will reach its peak on December 31 as people usher in the New Year at 12 midnight. With all the revelry taking place many of you will have little or no time to pay attention to the safety of your beloved pets and they could be exposed to danger. Not only by wandering away from home because the gates were kept open accidentally , but also from all the fireworks, especially the sky rockets that zoom in the sky and land in all the most unexpected places. So, if you are a responsible pet owner make sure your pets are safe and secure , away from any kind of danger when you are having a whale of a time . Take precautions to protect them and avoid untold misery at the loss of your beloved pets. If your pets are generally indoor bound creatures who are not street smart like most strays, do make it a point to either keep them locked up indoors when fire crackers are being lit, or secure the gates properly so that they cannot run away. Cats will definitely have to be locked up somewhere safe because they could always jump over the walls and run away in fear when the noise is too much .By the time you realize your pet or pets are missing it may be too late.

Even if your pet dog/dogs are used to roaming the streets keep them indoors especially on New Year's eve because people will be throwing crackers everywhere and they could get injured .

There are some people who have fun at the expense of innocent animals. To see a dog howling and running in fear or a cat dashing for its dear life at seeing a sky rocket coming its way, would make them roll in laughter .

If you happen to be enjoying yourself out on the streets lighting crackers, please pay attention to the stray animals around you. Just because they are out there without anyone to protect them do not put them in harm's way by throwing fireworks at them or near them. They too are living beings just like your own pets.

Our furry friends are generally scared of all the din made by these firecrackers, so please ensure they are well protected. Sometimes the thunderous noise ,especially if a cracker bursts near them could even harm their hearing. They can get burnt too.

Animals are innocent creatures who depend on the superior humans to protect them . Some do so but many others don't. They think animals are dumb creatures with no feelings or emotions. Mistreating them is nothing to them .

Don't you think it's better to keep all your beloved pets indoors, especially during the festive season , with such 'inhuman' humans lurking out there? Definitely!

Miru