First things first.
This is a purely biased reflection at something that I know a lot of people love. I know I might offend a lot or might give one the impression that I am a moralist or a fanatic of sorts. So to save ourselves the angst and the bitter hearts and the ill will and the deathwishes and the like I advise you to rather not read this if you are in love with the leisure of drinking alcohol but if you're open-minded enough to read an outsiders point-of-view I encourage you to please read on.
Christmas cheers is cheap.
Want to know why?
Because it eludes the underlying concept not so as to hide (better yet shield,) it from would-be persecutors like it was then in ancient of days. But because so much is caught up in its intoxicating spirit of having an excuse to be rowdy.
Sad to say what is fun is not always what a thing or for this occassion the true meaning of the day that we're trying to commemorate. I'm not against it, don't get me wrong. I'm all for the cheers, the carols, the gift giving, the unilateral cry for 'peace on earth and goodwill to men', the reunions, Christmas lights, trees and lanterns but what I'm against is the loss of significance for the concept where every single one of those stuff that I've mentioned above stand for.
It's really evident that Christmas nowadays speak of Santa Claus and his reindeers and of The Grinch who once tried to destroyed it because he utterly failed to understand its meaning or that of silly and at times far fetched TV commercials that sees this season as a free-for-all to cash in on the holidays and most prevailent among the lot is that of the San Miguel Beer 12 Days of Christmas ad, which I'd like us to have close look at.
I tried to get the lyrics of the jingle but was saddened that I cannot grab my copy, too bad.
Anyways the lyrics focuses on various pulutan dishes that can be served in-season and out-of-season but are of festive appeal which a lot of families serve during Christmas time which ironically used also by a lot of seasonal/occassional alcohol drinkers as an excuse to drink.
(if you can't catch the drift read this: "Di ako lasenggero umiinom lang naman ako pag may okasyon" and apparently everysingle day an occassion can be found I at times wonder if they'd pop up lines like thins: "Umiinom ako pag may okasyon lang at dahil ngayon ay lunes may okasyon ngayon eto ang start ng weekdays kaya iinom ako dahil monday ngayon its a cause for celebration ipagdiwang natin ang lunes.")
Not only is the festive mood and emphasis on the dishes and the excuse to drink but also the fact that the ad emphasizes on how they're all compatible with a cold San Miguel beer.
The choice of song is even quite an insult for the original song is a crytic cathecism during the dark age of church apostasy led by Roman christianity. The song signifies essential truths and doctrines to which the gifts in the song represents so as for adult Christians could teach their kids these doctrinal truths without being branded as heretics by their clergy.
The first line:
"A partridge in a pear tree. " signifies Christ, and the tree that of the old rugged cross on which he died to save us.
And for it to be replaced by a: "Isang malamig na San Miguel Beer." is tantamount to heresy if you ask me.
(there is a good post about this song in pinaybloodrush by the way. )
If you are ofended I cannot do anything about it this is just an opinion, but I do truly stand that celebrations could be celebrated without having to intoxicate ourselves with unhealthy food and alcohol.
Besides historically speaking its just a rather bland failed attempt to signify the true meaning of Christmas which the ad tries to imply. Yes its good to have a hearty meal, to share the company of friends and loved ones or even to have a party and the like.
But historically speaking the said event wasn't heralded with such joy and cheers there was a slaughter of children led by Herod, there was a mass migration, the protagonist can't even be given a descent bed to be born in and most of all the true reason for the protagonist that is Jesus Christ was born is that so that He would die and eventually complete the act of redemption.
Take a good look at that?
Would someone celebrate the birth of one who was born to die?
The common response would be no.
But what makes this special is that this was not some ordinary man who'd be born to eventually die. That's our state right now we are born to die someday. But this death is great because it did not end at the laying of the tombstone but ended with the ressurection and resulting with granting us the freedom to stare death in the eye and ask: "where o death is thy sting" (my apologies to the Apostle Paul for the unsolicited quote from his epistle to the church of Corinth).
It is true that Christmas is worth celebrating and the birth of Christ is a cause for celebration, but to cheapen it with the act of disregard to its meaning and to use it to celebrate and be rowdy and be drunk with alcohol deliberately deviates its true significance.
This is a purely biased reflection at something that I know a lot of people love. I know I might offend a lot or might give one the impression that I am a moralist or a fanatic of sorts. So to save ourselves the angst and the bitter hearts and the ill will and the deathwishes and the like I advise you to rather not read this if you are in love with the leisure of drinking alcohol but if you're open-minded enough to read an outsiders point-of-view I encourage you to please read on.
Christmas cheers is cheap.
Want to know why?
Because it eludes the underlying concept not so as to hide (better yet shield,) it from would-be persecutors like it was then in ancient of days. But because so much is caught up in its intoxicating spirit of having an excuse to be rowdy.
Sad to say what is fun is not always what a thing or for this occassion the true meaning of the day that we're trying to commemorate. I'm not against it, don't get me wrong. I'm all for the cheers, the carols, the gift giving, the unilateral cry for 'peace on earth and goodwill to men', the reunions, Christmas lights, trees and lanterns but what I'm against is the loss of significance for the concept where every single one of those stuff that I've mentioned above stand for.
It's really evident that Christmas nowadays speak of Santa Claus and his reindeers and of The Grinch who once tried to destroyed it because he utterly failed to understand its meaning or that of silly and at times far fetched TV commercials that sees this season as a free-for-all to cash in on the holidays and most prevailent among the lot is that of the San Miguel Beer 12 Days of Christmas ad, which I'd like us to have close look at.
I tried to get the lyrics of the jingle but was saddened that I cannot grab my copy, too bad.
Anyways the lyrics focuses on various pulutan dishes that can be served in-season and out-of-season but are of festive appeal which a lot of families serve during Christmas time which ironically used also by a lot of seasonal/occassional alcohol drinkers as an excuse to drink.
(if you can't catch the drift read this: "Di ako lasenggero umiinom lang naman ako pag may okasyon" and apparently everysingle day an occassion can be found I at times wonder if they'd pop up lines like thins: "Umiinom ako pag may okasyon lang at dahil ngayon ay lunes may okasyon ngayon eto ang start ng weekdays kaya iinom ako dahil monday ngayon its a cause for celebration ipagdiwang natin ang lunes.")
Not only is the festive mood and emphasis on the dishes and the excuse to drink but also the fact that the ad emphasizes on how they're all compatible with a cold San Miguel beer.
The choice of song is even quite an insult for the original song is a crytic cathecism during the dark age of church apostasy led by Roman christianity. The song signifies essential truths and doctrines to which the gifts in the song represents so as for adult Christians could teach their kids these doctrinal truths without being branded as heretics by their clergy.
The first line:
"A partridge in a pear tree. " signifies Christ, and the tree that of the old rugged cross on which he died to save us.
And for it to be replaced by a: "Isang malamig na San Miguel Beer." is tantamount to heresy if you ask me.
(there is a good post about this song in pinaybloodrush by the way. )
If you are ofended I cannot do anything about it this is just an opinion, but I do truly stand that celebrations could be celebrated without having to intoxicate ourselves with unhealthy food and alcohol.
Besides historically speaking its just a rather bland failed attempt to signify the true meaning of Christmas which the ad tries to imply. Yes its good to have a hearty meal, to share the company of friends and loved ones or even to have a party and the like.
But historically speaking the said event wasn't heralded with such joy and cheers there was a slaughter of children led by Herod, there was a mass migration, the protagonist can't even be given a descent bed to be born in and most of all the true reason for the protagonist that is Jesus Christ was born is that so that He would die and eventually complete the act of redemption.
Take a good look at that?
Would someone celebrate the birth of one who was born to die?
The common response would be no.
But what makes this special is that this was not some ordinary man who'd be born to eventually die. That's our state right now we are born to die someday. But this death is great because it did not end at the laying of the tombstone but ended with the ressurection and resulting with granting us the freedom to stare death in the eye and ask: "where o death is thy sting" (my apologies to the Apostle Paul for the unsolicited quote from his epistle to the church of Corinth).
It is true that Christmas is worth celebrating and the birth of Christ is a cause for celebration, but to cheapen it with the act of disregard to its meaning and to use it to celebrate and be rowdy and be drunk with alcohol deliberately deviates its true significance.
Another is that I believe none of us would truly be able to celebrate Christmas for all its worth not unless we have experienced the saving grace of God's love by accepting Jesus' completed work of salvation now the question stands: Have we come to recieve the said gift?
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