无雪的圣诞节

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pingguo

在多数人相信上帝的国度里,圣诞节无疑是节假日中最重要、最热闹的节日。往年,日历一翻到十二月,圣诞节的气氛就一天天浓起来了。圣诞树、圣诞花、蝴蝶结、白雪人、五颜六色的彩灯、缤纷斑斓的花环、圣诞老人和鹿雪橇等等,各种各样的节日装饰遍布城镇的主要街道,也遍布社区的千家万户。走进商店,只见货架上圣诞节的商品千姿百态、琳琅满目;穿行在货架间,选购礼品的人也是熙熙攘攘、摩肩接踵,一片繁忙。今年怎么啦?虽然我们城市的主要街道也装饰一新,圣诞树亮起来了!花环上的蜡烛亮起来了!沿街的彩灯也亮起来了!但人们欢庆节日的热情好像没有被点燃,人们的心境好像没有亮堂起来。

我有一个习惯,节日前后喜欢在附近的社区里看看灯,今年社区里房前屋后的彩灯比往年少了许多。我听说有一户人家,在庭院里装饰圣诞彩灯已经有五十多年的历史了,其景色之美妙,阵容之壮观,总会吸引远近许多人来观赏,为此也得到了一些热心者的赞助,帮助一起付那几千美元的电帐单。今年是他们几十年来第一次没有在庭院里装饰圣诞彩灯。人清闲了,庭院安静了,乐趣也少了。往年,他们总是从九月底就开始了那浩大的装饰工程,花费的时间之多,工作之琐碎,是局外人难以想象的。他们说今年负担不起了,也没有什么人赞助,只好忍痛割爱。

每年圣诞节,我们公司里都有两个传统活动,一是给孤儿院的孩子送礼品;二是同事间交换礼品。当然,参加这两个活动也都是自愿的。先说说第一个活动:给孤儿院的孩子送礼品。大约在圣诞节前两个星期,在公司办公室的门口就会装饰起一株圣诞树,树上挂满了一个个硬纸片彩灯,每个彩灯上都写有一个孩子的姓名、性别、年龄和希望得到的三个圣诞节礼品。你若想发善心,可以在这些硬纸片彩灯中任选一个你喜欢的孩子来赞助。你把那个硬纸片彩灯挂在你的工作台前,也就意味着你要为这个孩子买圣诞礼品。通常礼品的价值在20美元左右。到了规定的日子,你把包装好的礼品写上那孩子的名字,也写上你自己的名字,放在那株圣诞树下,公司会派人统一送走。至于同事间交换礼品,通常价值也是在20美元左右。愿意参加这个活动的人每人写一张礼品单,折起来丢进一个容器里,接下来按抓阄的方式来决定你会抓到谁的礼品单。通常礼品单也是写着对方希望得到的三个圣诞节礼品。你可以只买其中的一个礼品,也可以买多个礼品,只要总价值在20美元就行了。唯一要严守的规则是:自始至终要保密,不能泄露了天机,直到公司圣诞午餐爬梯的那一天,大家把礼品放在同一株圣诞树下,到了开礼品时,你就去找写有你的名字的那个礼品包,打开来自然是一个惊喜。赶快去找给你送礼品的那一位吧,给对方一个热情的拥抱,再说上一堆感谢的话。自然,也会有人来找你,给你一个热情的拥抱,对你说上一堆感谢的话。节日的气氛浓起来了,皆大欢喜!

可是今年,公司里两个传统活动也都取消了。虽然我们公司的业务还不错,但是,全美乃至于全球经济的大萧条,的确大大影响了普通美国老百姓的生活。同事中有好些亲人和朋友都陷入了收入减少、闲置在家、失业、求职困难、退休金缩水等等未曾预计到的困境,心境自然也就不一样了。

前几天看了一片圣诞节题材的老电影“一个无雪的圣诞节”(A Christmas Without Snow)。讲的是那年秋天,一个中年妇女在刚刚经历了离婚和失业的伤痛后,把年少的儿子留给母亲照看,只身离开了自己熟悉的家乡和亲人,到三番市寻找工作。求职并不像期望得那样顺利,在情绪低落的时候,她参加了当地社区一个教会的合唱团,为圣诞节准备演唱。虽然合唱团的队员们各有各的烦恼,在准备演唱的过程中也发生了很多不顺心的事,但大家以信任尊重、互相关爱的态度齐心协力来面对困难,在合唱团总指挥生病住院的情况下,成功地完成了圣诞节的演唱,为整个社区的带来了一个欢乐的圣诞节。同时,我们的女主人公,在人生的困境中,也走出了心理上的低谷,以更积极进取的态度去面对圣诞节后的生活。

在看这个电影的时候,我总是走神,思绪老是跳到今年的圣诞节。今年圣诞节,我们这多雪的地方没有雪,许多温暖四季如春的地区反倒下起雪来,气候的反常也使今年的圣诞节有些异样。但愿圣诞节过后,我们都能像“一个无雪的圣诞节”中的人们一样,用更亮丽的笑脸去面对圣诞节后更多未知的日子,去迎接更多的严寒。

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