This year 2024 is my first holiday experience in Taiwan. Honestly, I was shocked how disappointed I feel. Over the last 40 years in the U.S., I have developed some basic "must-have expectations" during the holidays. Thanksgiving I had expectations of a family gathering, with turkey and pumpkin pie/whipped cream, and maybe a pumpkin placed at the front porch. Christmas I also expected some lights outside the house, a tree with ornaments and presents under the tree, dinner get-together, Ham, mash potatoes, baking cookies, hot chocolate...etc. These are not high expectations because most people I knew had those same expectations during the holidays, some more elaborate than others.
I expected the holidays to start after Halloween, slowly crescendo until New Years Day with lots of fun and activities. Well, needless to say, I didn't get any of those "normal" holiday things this year in Taiwan, because most people do not celebrate Thanksgiving or Christmas here. The businesses/local government just started to put up Christmas lights at parks, hotels, or malls to attract more people, but most homes are too small to have any Christmas tree. Christmas decorations are mostly for commercial reasons. I didn't know what it is like to NOT have any of those things until they are not there anymore. When I saw on social media my kids' opening presents, and others having their family get-togethers, I began to feel a slow rising of sadness. On Christmas Eve, I was feeling sad, but God sent my visiting cousins here to distract me for the day. Thank you, God.
Christmas Day came. It was business as usual outside, no sign of the day being any different. I live near a Catholic church, and I heard the bell ringing for their Christmas mass. Impulsively I decided to attend, at least I wanted to celebrate the birth of Jesus with other believers and hear the Christmas story read from the Bible. It was what I needed, just felt good to be in the house of God, though I wish that Christian churches had something on Christmas day, but since most people work as usual on that day, they only celebrate on Sundays. Then after the service, I didn't know what to do on this beautiful Christmas day, so I went to my favorite park near a concert hall called Weiwuying. I walked, talked to Jesus, and sat by the pond for a while. The rest of the day was pretty uneventful. I did a one- person Messiah singalong in my bedroom. Oh, yeah, I tried to bake some Christmas cookies in my toaster oven, but I couldn't find vanilla extract or chocolate chips. It was a failed attempt. No wonder most people don't bake here.
Well, I learned a valuable lesson this holiday season: God is always with me. If Jesus is truly the reason for the season, then I need to let go of all those American expectations. Even if I feel really crummy, God still loves me and there is nothing that separates His love from me! nothing.... not the lack of tree, ham, gifts, or pies or even friends and families. When I missed my family and friends in the U.S., my heart is broken, but God says He is near the brokenhearted, that's me! I am so glad God is everywhere, and He truly cares about me, even when I don't feel it. His love never changes. Isn't that the greatest news?
Secondly, the essence of the holiday season needs to be in our everyday life. Thanksgiving is all about being thankful to God for His goodness to us. We truly need to be grateful every day. It's one of the Biblical principles of Christian living; grateful people are happy people. What about Christmas? we give gifts to show love. It's the season for giving. Many reach out to the less fortunate, sending toys, cans to show generosity. Love and generosity are also biblical principles that we should live out daily. If my kids needed something, I am not going to tell them to wait until next Christmas so I can give it to them. If our brother or sister is truly in need, we help them whether it's Christmas or not. Practice gratitude and generosity at all times. In conclusion, everyday should be Thanksgiving and Christmas. If we live like this, then there will not be holiday blues or January depressions.
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