Christmas is upon us once again. Many say that this could be the best festive season ever. The festive spirit can be seen everywhere, from the cities and towns to the rural villages, from the giant shopping malls to the little corner shops, from the beaches to the mountain resorts, from the hotels to the game reserves, from the pubs to the market stalls; it’s all about buy, spend, eat, drink and waste.
Christmas is the best time of the year for the liquor industry. Roads are busier than ever with trucks hurrying to deliver goods to the shops, and holiday makers rushing to their holiday destinations. This is also a busy time for criminals waiting to pounce on the weak, unwary and the vulnerable.
Robbery, murder and rape levels rise, putting pressure on the police, security and emergency services. There’s no Christmas break for the doctors and nurses as accident and crime victims pile up in the hospitals and morgues. It’s also the busiest time of the year for the church.
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Worshippers throng the aisles, praying and singing in praise of the Lord. Pastors are happy to see their churches so full and it means more money for the church. Their booming voices thunder across the church and the congregations give generously during Christmas.
And joining in the frenzied activity is death, which misses not a single opportunity to cut down a life and spoil the Christmas party. Last but not least are funeral parlours which give the dead their last ride to the graveyard. They are busier than ever, attending to the bereaving families.
Funerals have now become grand social events with the rich easing their conscience by sending off their beloved in a grand farewell. While we admit that undertakers have an unenviable task in burying the dead, they must take some responsibility for over-the-top, extravagant funerals.
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