It’s been asked many times and many ways, but many, including myself, can’t resist asking it again. What is the true meaning of Christmas? That it has been too commercialized has become an off-the-cuff response, what with the trademark rush and gush of shopping, dining and wining that kicked off as early as November. But more than the materialism attached to this most-awaited event, it should be a celebration of affection, bigheartedness, goodwill, compassion, brotherhood and familial bonding. It is a fete of love for each other, joy in people’s hearts, peace that pervades all around and hope that springs eternal. As this year’s Christmas ID of ABS-CBN encourages, the call is to “Just LOVE.”
Christmas evokes a hallmark kind of sentimentality that longs for a world with no fighting, no hatred and no condemnation, and an existence free of any form of hunger and fear. To the Christian multitudes it is truly about God’s love for humanity. He gave the most amazing gift—the promise of salvation and a heavenly kingdom devoid of hostility, hatred and viciousness. It is the birth of Jesus Christ, the Messiah, who became man to save us from eternal damnation.
Yule symbols and their meanings
If you must do a public-relation (PR) program for Christmas, it will be quite a breeze. It has a variety of icons that you can use to project it; and a publicist can conveniently make sense of what they signify. Take the color red. It is a beloved Christmas hue, especially the poinsettia kind of red. It brings profundity, passion and brilliance to the occasion. Personally, it represents strength and vitality. It makes your body temperature significantly hot to stimulate circulation and promote the swift action and constant drive needed for this harried time of year. To the faithful, it symbolizes the blood that was shed by Christ when He gave his life on the cross. Indeed, red is a symbol of God’s immense love for mankind.
Green complements red. They look good together. The red and green combination connotes Italian, Gucci if you will. Green conveys balance, harmony and restfulness. It soothes the emotions and heals the heart. It is most closely associated with nature, and the process of life. A green Christmas tree is a perfect backdrop for red ornaments. In whatever shade, it brings youthfulness and anticipation of good things to come. Trees grow toward heaven, and to the prayerful it is an anchor to carry their pleas to the Almighty. Trees have fed, sheltered and warmed us. Hug them lest they turn their backs on you and make you suffer, as some people have experienced in the string of recent typhoons.
The Christmas wreath, with its continuous circle of devotion, reminds you of unconditional love. A Yuletide candle, on the other hand, is a potent representation of life. Use its light to write a letter to your past, like thanking people for acts of kindness, making amends with friends you have hurt, or saying, “I love you” to family members. Let it glow brightly at the dinner table as a remembrance of Christ’s birth and an appreciation for the little star of Bethlehem, the heavenly sign of promise that led the three wise men to the nativity.
The Christmas star, just like the local parol, lights the road to reconciliation. As the story goes, each one of us has an assigned star. How you harness its value defines your present and future self.
When you are searching for guidance and redirection toward what is good, think of the Christmas bell. In biblical times, it was used to find lost sheep. It rings for you, too, as you find the right path, regain your bearings, and win back the favor of those you have wronged.
The Christmas cane is more than the spiral red-and-white candy design commercially sold in confectioneries. It’s a story that dates to the time of the shepherd’s staff. Just like the bell, the curve on the rod helps bring back sheep that have strayed away from the fold, marking that you are your brother’s keepers.
The sound of a bell is music to the ears of prodigal sons and daughters who desire to return to the fold of righteousness. When a bell tolls, it summons you to listen to your heart and heed the call of your inner self. A Christmas carol, just like the bell, calms your agitated nerves. “Silent Night,” “O Holy Night,” “Adeste Fideles” and other familiar tunes wake up your sleeping spirituality. They spur a clearer understanding of the real reason for the joyous festivity around the world.
Keeping the meaning of Christmas alive is great PR
Amid the celebrations, the eats and treats, take time to rekindle the spirit of the season. Don’t be rattled by the hustle and bustle. Instead, find time to relax and enjoy the chat with kinfolk you only get to see during Christmas reunions. Play catch-up and update yourself on what is happening to them as you share our own story. This will be excellent to exercise your PR storytelling skills.
Every event and every circumstance allow you a choice of outlook. Faced with difficulty in business or in life, you can choose between discontent and curiosity as your mind-set. The choice is yours. Will you focus on what you see as lacking, or will you be optimistic and search for positive things that can possibly emerge? Every moment, however dangerous or distressed it may seem, can grow the seed of greater happiness, greater growth, and greater prosperity. You may not realize it in an instant, but handling adversities during the season hones your crisis-response capabilities.
Review the things that don’t appear to be going your way. Go back to the delays, difficulties and disruptions that have set you back in the past months, or the stormy and mean-spirited people who blocked your way. Assess how you dealt with all these hurdles and, instead of dwelling on the off-putting elements, look for opportunities that enlarged and enriched you. The process may be rigid and at some point, unimaginable, but it can be done. As creative guru Julia Cameron suggests, “Bless not only the road but the bumps on the road. They are part of the higher journey.” This puts your dexterity to do strength-weakness-opportunities-threats (SWOT) analysis to a test, a very important aspect in PR planning.
Count your blessings. They can lead you to the right direction to attain your dreams and aspirations. When your life is on a safe and sheltered path, recognize it, and thank God for it. Believe that every recognition you make, accompanied by sincere thankfulness in your hearts, is a blessing. It increases your capacity to give part of yourself and to receive good wishes and glad tidings from those whom you have touched. Whatever your religious practice is, take time to wake up your sleeping spirituality. Say a prayer of thanksgiving in gratitude for the bounties and blessings. Allow yourself to make this most wonderful day of the year truly a day of delight, miracles, reflection, divine enrichment and personal renewal. Indeed, an attitude of gratitude is an admirable mind-set to embrace as you deal with yourself and your PR stakeholders.
Support a worthy cause. Donate to creditable programs, such as the Philippine National Red Cross, Children’s Hour, Bantay Bata or the relief operations in disaster-stricken areas. There are a lot of people who are waiting to be helped. Surely, you will feel good to do good, to give gifts that are really needed, things that aren’t store-bought. Jan Gonder of Reader’s Digest advises, “Why not come up with the idea of giving coupons redeemable from your time and talents? The idea is to match the service with the specific needs of people and communities.” On this suggestion, maybe you can consider distributing coupons to help build houses and roads, teach catechism, sports, and arts and crafts, or simply read books to kids. Giving back, sharing what you have, extending help and doing advocacy work should be a staple your menu of PR possibilities. They are good for the soul.
“Although it’s been said many times, many ways Merry Christmas to you,” the Christmas song goes. May the true meaning of Christmas reign in your PR heart!
PR Matters is a roundtable column by members of the local chapter of the United Kingdom-based International Public Relations Association (Ipra), the world’s premier organization for PR professionals around the world. Bong R. Osorio is a communications consultant of ABS-CBN Corp., SkyCable, Dentsu-Aegis Network and government projects, among others, after retiring as the vice president and head of the Corporate Communications Division of ABS-CBN.
We are devoting a special column each month to answer our readers’ questions about public relations. Please send your questions or comments to askipraphil@gmail.com.