December is a month that highlights the beauties and intricacies of life

OKAY, December is a cool month. It might be because Jesus’s birth is celebrated this month. But not all of us are Christians, so it is not really okay to generalise and link the joy in the month only to the son of Joseph and Mary.

On an aside, I do think that it is nice to have December 25 as a day that celebrates the birth of that chap from Bethlehem.

I am sure that there must have been some negative experiences that I have encountered in December, but I can’t remember them. Let me be fair and add that I do not think that December is such a cool month in Europe because it is winter there. But then again, Europeans like winter. I don’t. Europeans have winter games like skiing. I even at some point thought that Christmas being a day in December was a brilliant tactic to make people like me love Christ. A birthday in December, I still think, is a jolly moment. In South Africa most people go on holiday in December. You know why? The weather in South Africa is really nice in December. South Africa is also very beautiful in December.

I also feel more handsome in this month. I don’t know why but I know that most girls think of me as gorgeous in December. I look the same right through the year, but come December and all the girls give me beautiful compliments. I obviously smile and open my heart to them.

During the Struggle, many comrades took a rest in fighting injustice this month. But then, in all fairness, the apartheid bosses were also in a relaxed mood. When they assaulted you in December, it was a cool klap (slap on the cheek) or something like that. I am not going there, but you honestly know what happened in June 1976. (It was cruel racism, but I also think that the cold weather played a role. Don’t you!)

I really am the coolest in December. I have a memory of how many aggressive souls were just disarmed by the incredible charm that I possess in this beautiful month. Even the harsh aspects of life, like say the banks, take a soft approach towards me. Needless to say, I like that.

We all get financially reckless in this month. Even priests forget their “savings” mentality and dish out expensive gifts. Well not all, but most priests. They call this tendency “Christmas gift”. I admire it.

It is not only the 25th that makes me love this month. I am not the only one. Common knowledge tells that the entire world loves this month. Some nations which are not really impressed with Jesus Christ still have Christmas as a moment on the calendar. This is because most nations observe the birthday of Jesus, like it or not. I have also noted how many Muslims enjoy this month. I have received many Christmas wishes from Abdul Moosa or Mohammed Salie and wondered if they were not maybe confused by the beautiful aromas of this month.

For years I have heard people saying that Jewish people don’t really all see Jesus Christ in a positive way. They, history narrates, nailed him on a cross. But even they have a cool spot for this month. It is also common that many of the great meetings of peoples of the world happen in this month. Maybe the glory of the month is in it being the last month in the calendar of the year.

Who cares? There is something glorious in the temperament of this month.

This month is one moment that tells us of the beauties of life. Well, let me say in South Africa and the various peaceful geographies of this continent known as Africa, it is also a month to view the many intricacies of this life. I have noticed many animals making themselves known during this beautiful month. I might be imagining this, but I think birds are more in love with this month than the rest of the year. Again this does not mean the birds of the other continents – let me be limited to the glory of Africa.

December is a moment of depth where one can see the beauty of the world exhibited by a continent that has suffered so much but refuses to give up. It is a beauty that I know the rest of the world wants to see and admire. I hope that it is a beauty that does not say “colonise”. But who knows the depths and intricacies of world thought. Just the other day, eating at Greenmarket Square, I observed some Dutch people who love this country and I loved them too, hoping that they did not get a Jan van Riebeeck thought.

It is general knowledge that Europeans have not been quite flattering to Africa. I am just praying that they don’t get charmed like the Dutch of 1652. I am still feeling a huge discomfort watching the Castle. Again, noting the glamour and beauty of this geology called South Africa, it is easy to understand Oom Jan in 1652. It is also understandable to note that Simon van der Stel loved this country. Worse, it is not only understandable but also awkward to note that the English and the Dutch fought for this land.