The Best Christmas Ever

By Sumithra Devi R

“Hey, hey! Its Christmas time,” people burst out.

“We wish you a Merry Christmas,

We wish you a Merry Christmas,

We wish you a Merry Christmas

And a Happy New Year”

This song is heard across the world in unison.

All the people, especially children, eagerly wait to see Santa Claus, coming through the snow in a carriage driven by reindeers. In some countries, there won’t be snow; so they walk all the way to entertain the people. Usually, it is the normal people, who come in the attire of Santa Claus, along with small kids with their little drums.

But, it is believed that the true Santa Claus is living there in Lapland, the northern most region of the snow covered country, Finland. The place where he lives in is in turn called the Santa Clause Village. In this village, during every Christmas time, Santa Claus comes in this carriage, to meet the people, with his dance, gifts and blessings.

It was one such Christmas time.

Zariah, a girl of fifteen, was living in that Santa Clause Village. She was taken care of by her parents in a proper manner that she didn’t have to face the difficulties of life till the age of fifteen. As her name suggests, she lived like a blooming flower, which had all the radiance that people who she sees her used to say that God will remember her always.

However, by the time she was fifteen, she began to be obsessed with herself, her physical beauty. She became so proud and arrogant that she began to consider all the others in the world, including her parents, as unworthy of her company. Her friends, family and other relatives tried their level best to change her attitude, but in vain.

On this Christmas Day, something happened that made her think about the true meaning of beauty and she realised what she had failed to understand, in her craze after physical beauty.

Angela was a girl of the same age, living in the house next to them. Angela was an innocent girl. Zariah and Angela were best friends, in their childhood days. When they were friends, Zariah used to say that Angela is the most beautiful girl she has ever met. But now Zariah has changed a lot. When Angela tried to shake hands with Zariah, she took off her hands swiftly saying that an ugly girl touched my hands. Angela felt extremely disappointed and tears welled up in her eyes. Seeing all this entered Zariah’s parents. They felt extremely empathetic towards Angela.

“What did you say Zariah? This is not right dear,” her parents cried. “Apologize Zariah, apologize for the mistake that you have committed.”

“No, no! I am not gonna apologize before anyone” said Zariah with an attitude.

“Zariah!”

“What? I haven’t committed any mistake. I don’t like to touch ugly creature like her”

“Zariah?! Are you in your senses? Do you even have an idea of what you are saying?” asked her mother.

“Please come to your senses and ask for forgiveness, dear,” her father pleaded.

“I am not going to bend my head before others,” shouted Zariah angrily and went upstairs.

Zariah’s parents suddenly bend down at Angela’s feet and uttered, “Sorry dear child! We ask forgiveness for the mistake she had committed.”

Angela said : “Ehhh! Don’t bend down before me. You both haven’t done anything bad to me. I felt sad because I lost my best friend, whose companionship I cherished a lot. I just…I just want her back.”

The three of them felt extremely disappointed. They thought of a way to make her change her mind. They at last made a plan.

The sky turned dark. The moon and the stars twinkled in the sky to show way for Santa. When Santa came to Zariah’s household, Zariah came out quickly to welcome him, because she knows that Santa is treated with joy and respect across the world. But before she reached downstairs, Zariah’s parents and Angela discussed the plan they set with Santa. When Zariah came downstairs, the three of them presented their gifts. In order to have a good impression on Santa and to have a bigger gift from him, she tried to behave politely to the other three of them. She accepted their gifts first.

“Open the gifts child, open the gifts!” said Santa

She followed it. She opened it one by one. Her father gave her a blue long gown. Her mother gave her a beautiful glass shoes. A matching glass necklace and earring set was provided to her by Angela. But Zariah looked on to it with a feeling of contempt. Santa asked her to wear all that and come to him. She followed as advised. She came out with an angry face. But Santa or the others didn’t take much notice of it.

Santa then showed her a bigger gift placed inside her house. She went near it and found that it is a mirror. She looked into it and exclaimed:

“Wow! Beautiful”

She then came near Santa and hugged him tight. Happy tears fell from her eyes. Santa enquired whether she is happy with the gift and she replied:

“Yes Santa, I am. This is the best Christmas present ever!”

Santa then asked her to look into the mirror once again and to understand the real beauty of the ones who had given it. She suddenly went to the mirror and wandered her eyes through it eagerly. To her surprise, she saw the face of her parents’ as well as that of Angela’s in the mirror. Realisation dawned upon her that these were not Santa’s gifts but that of her parents’ and her best friend. She then understood the mistake, bend down before each of them and asked for forgiveness.

“Always look for inner beauty, child, it will help you find true friends like Angela,” advised her parents.

“Now I have my beautiful bestie back,” claimed Angela, hugging Zariah.

Santa gave Zariah a wand stick as a small gift.

She said: “Santa, I liked it. But the best Christmas present that I ever have is the mirror – the mirror which made me look inside my true inner self – the mirror that reflected the true essence of my life.” They all smiled contently.

They danced and sang:

“We wish you a Merry Christmas,

We wish you a Merry Christmas,

We wish you a Merry Christmas

And a Happy New Year”

“Hey! Zariah exclaimed, “The Best Christmas Ever!”

By Sumithra Devi R