Christmas and Quaid Day

"25th December marks Christmas and the Quaid Day! Does it call for only celebration or is there something more to it?"

Does it ring a bell? Reindeer’s and sleights. Roasted turkey and Santa Claus, Christmas tree and paper bells. The spirit of festivity is in the air. Candy cane, wreaths, knitted caps and gloves. Excitement, laughter, happiness, joy and celebrations. Winter and chill, snow and ice. Bonfires, heaters, barbecue and family time. Holidays and fun time. Gifts and amusement, surprises and warmth. Love, mirth and merriment. What is it? Guess what it is? Is it Christmas? Is it really Christmas?

Such is the spirit of Christmas! It brings forth a passion and fervor that engulfs everyone in a delightful manner, making them momentarily forget their sadness and responsibilities.
A pivotal theory with respect to the human behavior is the colour psychology. It talks of how colour has an effect on the human behavior and feeling.

Christmas is defined by the colours red and green.

Red and Green are the colours of Christmas. Red has a rousing effect upon the blood. It rushes the adrenaline in the body, creating a feeling of intensity and fierceness. It is the colour of celebration and love.

Green on the other hand symbolizes life and renewal.

Both colours complement each other. Whilst red defines love, green is a sign of a new beginning. Love brings forth creativity, it eliminates rancour and begets healthy relationships.

Christmas therefore, is a festival that spreads positivity and ardour, affection and appreciation, devotion and dedication.

The fact that Christmas is celebrated just before the New Year is important because it is a good way to mark the end of a year.

The world is becoming a global village, and so Christmas is celebrated all across the globe, irrespective of race or religion.

Festivals now are seen as uniting all the people across the globe. The reason behind why a festival is celebrated is gradually receding and is being replaced by the concept of just ‘fun and frolic’.

The coincidence that Christmas falls on the same day as Quaid-e-Azam day may be a coincidence, but it actually reaffirms the significance of the tenet Quaid upheld in his speech about minorities.

“You are free! You are free to go to your temples. You are free to go to your mosques or to any other places of worship in this State of Pakistan. You may belong to any religion, caste or creed – that has nothing to do with the business of the state.”

The Quaid emphasizes on liberty, freedom, independence. And in his speech he clearly stresses that discrimination of any sort is unwelcome in the newly created state of Pakistan. Pakistan is a modern state and it rightly advocates freedom at all levels.

Whilst the Quaid day is celebrated to mark the birth of Jinnah, Christmas marks the birth of Jesus. Again a coincidence but a pleasant and meaningful one. Both Jesus and the Quaid were spiritual leaders. Both stood up for the rights of the under privileged and deprived sects of the society.

Christmas and the Quaid Day are celebrated for similar reasons. The fact that festivals and national holidays are losing their significance is a sorry state of affairs. It is crucial to understand the ‘why’ behind a festival. Agreed that we all need a little bit of fun in our draconian lives but we must not forget our culture and traditions.

To conclude, celebration and the reason behind it both must be taken hand in hand. To find the right balance between the two aspects is what is necessary and fundamental!

So enjoy the hullaballo and conviviality, but also try to educate yourself and the upcoming generation on the history, traditions and culture of your country!