OK, so it’s been a few days (4 to be exact) since I’ve posted… Hey, it was Christmas/Hanukkah in our household, and so we celebrated. I hope each of you enjoyed a great few days of holiday-ing with friends and families.
Now, we are all experiencing the myriad commercials about how every single store in the world has just THE best Boxing Week sales… You could get anything you want for a fraction of the price! Honestly, that is great news considering the economy. But, guess what? Boxing Day has nothing to do with shopping and sales!
Originally, Boxing Day - the first weekday after Christmas Day - was observed as a holiday "on which postmen, errand boys, and servants of various kinds received a Christmas box of contributions from those whom they serve". (Charles Dickens) In England – say, mid nineteenth century – many people living under the level of poverty would also go door-to-door with empty boxes and would receive leftover Christmas sweets, food and money.
On Christmas Eve, we drove to Nathan Phillips’ Square (downtown Toronto)… I wanted to see where I had learned to skate. All the people were enjoying their friends’ and families’ company; kids and grown-ups were taking in the “Cavalcade of Light”; and I can only imagine how many people were wanting to sample the french fries from the vendors (they did smell good).
Right across the street, however, 3 people were lying over the sidewalk grates that gave onto the subway below. This is where so many spend their Christmas nights, and probably most of their nights through the year! They were sleeping, but could probably smell the food too… I wondered what they might have had for dinner. It wasn’t Boxing Day yet, but they got a little something they would find when they woke up. They’d be able to get themselves breakfast. I still felt pretty empty though, because I know that it’s not enough – and it shouldn't just be something we do at this time of the year.
I was hoping to be able to share some photos with you, but not quite yet. The weather has been “non-conducive to picture taking”, but we still have some time before we get back to work. We’re still working on the photo exposé…
In the meantime, I would love to hear your Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza and/or Boxing Day stories. Click on the “comments” link below and let me know…
For us, we’ve committed to an annual “Christmas Deed”. But, the purpose of the Lemon Tree is still to find a way to generate a more long-lasting impact on poverty – through hope & education.
Now, we are all experiencing the myriad commercials about how every single store in the world has just THE best Boxing Week sales… You could get anything you want for a fraction of the price! Honestly, that is great news considering the economy. But, guess what? Boxing Day has nothing to do with shopping and sales!
Originally, Boxing Day - the first weekday after Christmas Day - was observed as a holiday "on which postmen, errand boys, and servants of various kinds received a Christmas box of contributions from those whom they serve". (Charles Dickens) In England – say, mid nineteenth century – many people living under the level of poverty would also go door-to-door with empty boxes and would receive leftover Christmas sweets, food and money.
On Christmas Eve, we drove to Nathan Phillips’ Square (downtown Toronto)… I wanted to see where I had learned to skate. All the people were enjoying their friends’ and families’ company; kids and grown-ups were taking in the “Cavalcade of Light”; and I can only imagine how many people were wanting to sample the french fries from the vendors (they did smell good).
Right across the street, however, 3 people were lying over the sidewalk grates that gave onto the subway below. This is where so many spend their Christmas nights, and probably most of their nights through the year! They were sleeping, but could probably smell the food too… I wondered what they might have had for dinner. It wasn’t Boxing Day yet, but they got a little something they would find when they woke up. They’d be able to get themselves breakfast. I still felt pretty empty though, because I know that it’s not enough – and it shouldn't just be something we do at this time of the year.
I was hoping to be able to share some photos with you, but not quite yet. The weather has been “non-conducive to picture taking”, but we still have some time before we get back to work. We’re still working on the photo exposé…
In the meantime, I would love to hear your Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza and/or Boxing Day stories. Click on the “comments” link below and let me know…
For us, we’ve committed to an annual “Christmas Deed”. But, the purpose of the Lemon Tree is still to find a way to generate a more long-lasting impact on poverty – through hope & education.
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