Remember the value of Christmas clothing to a child

Christmas Day is in two days. In most households, it will be jubilation, feasts, opening of gifts and the putting on of brand new clothes. All-round, there will be joy.

However, in the village I grew up in, just like in many other poor places, this supposedly joyous day brings pain, even though it is never intended to. One gets to see the depth and the varying and yet disturbing levels of impoverishment.

The phenomenon that is ‘Christmas Clothes’ still makes me sad. Just for a little background: for most years as a child and even teenager, I never got to wear new clothes on Christmas. I would be seeing cousins and other fellow villagers parade in new clothes on this special day.

Christmas clothes are a big deal in the villages and townships. Above going to church on this notable day, dressing to the nines, wearing brand new clothes is the biggest marker of this significant day. It is truly not a complete Christmas Day without brand-new clothes.

There was a bright side to this day for me. At least we had a big lunch at home that included or surpassed the seven-colours lunch. Custard and jelly or pudding are part of this big lunch as desserts. These are luxuries that many still enjoy only on Christmas Day and sadly others don’t get to indulge.

However, no matter how mouth-watering the lunch was , it would never be enjoyable if one did not have brand-new clothes and firecrackers. Food is perishable, and clothes last for longer.

My family always tried to console me by telling me about how great the food was, but that never made me feel any better. I wanted new clothes like any other kid on our street. I faked being ill, just to avoid being on the streets with others.

They showed off expensive labels and spoke about how many more clothes they had. The fact that we were all young meant we didn’t know the impact of ‘bragging to others’.

These scars are permanent.

I also remember that for the years where I had clothes for Christmas, I literally didn’t sleep on Christmas Eve nor did I eat on Christmas Day. I was delighted by the idea of wearing new clothes.

In as much as I am an adult now, and perhaps having Christmas clothes is the last thing on my mind, I still feel the trauma and pain of not having them. I know that many Good Samaritans across South Africa are buying Christmas hampers for children who are less fortunate. These hampers generally don’t include clothes and toys.

I know that beggars can’t be choosers. Nevertheless, I hope that we start to include clothes and toys for the less fortunate children. I know for a fact that clothes will always be more sentimental to children than food.

We all know that the plight of poverty is not anyone’s personal problem, but for those who have more than enough, may we continue to be charitable enough this Christmas Day. More than food, the less fortunate ones deserve new clothes too.

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