In the spirit of Christmas, I would like to share with you a song about a tiny Island speck on a map of the Indian Ocean which lays some 2,600 kilometers north-west of my hometown Perth, Western Australia.
Christmas Island
By: Lyle Moraine (1946) (USA)
Let's get away from sleigh bells, let's get away from snow,
Let's make a break from Christmas dear, I know the place to go.
How'd ja like to spend Christmas on Christmas Island?
How'd ja like to spend the Holiday away across the sea?
How'd ja like to spend Christmas on Christmas Island?
How'd ja like to hang your stockin' on a great big coconut tree?
Let's make a break from Christmas dear, I know the place to go.
How'd ja like to spend Christmas on Christmas Island?
How'd ja like to spend the Holiday away across the sea?
How'd ja like to spend Christmas on Christmas Island?
How'd ja like to hang your stockin' on a great big coconut tree?
How'd ja like to stay up late like the detainees do,
Wait for Santa to sail in with your presents in a canoe?
If you ever spend Christmas on Christmas Island,
You will never stray, for ev'ry day you will ask
can your Christmas dreams come true?
Wait for Santa to sail in with your presents in a canoe?
If you ever spend Christmas on Christmas Island,
You will never stray, for ev'ry day you will ask
can your Christmas dreams come true?
For those of you who are not yet au fait, the beautiful Christmas Island (a territory of Australia), is the sole peak of an underwater mountain range to rise above the ocean's surface.
It is one of nature’s most impressive feats, full of natural wonders; from the unique annual red crab migration to rare and unusual birds and glorious deserted beaches where the only footprints in the sand are those made by nesting turtles.
With an abundance of endemic species, it is commonly referred to as the Galapagos of the Indian Ocean, yet it also displays a curious amalgam of cultures, history and industry, emerging as a place where all these elements create a truly unusual travel experience – in more ways than one.
Idyllic Paradise?
The bird depicted in the image below, clutching a gift with wings spread wide open could suggest the symbolism of hospitality, warm welcome, freedom and benevolence. It’s certainly the most obvious sentiment one would associate with visiting a beautiful Island or is it?
In the Middle-East and Asia birds are symbols of immortality and in Christian art, birds are often depicted as saved souls. However, this may not the case for all that make it to Xmas Island.
In sharp contrast, this natural beauty is belied by ugliness rising up in what has become the epicenter of Australia’s controversial mandatory immigration-detention policy.
Christmas Island immigration detention centre is a concrete and metal scar in the midst of a jungle canopy. The sloping metal roofs of the centre’s structures cover a rectangular patch at the northwestern tip of the island, 17 kilometres from the main town.
The number of asylum-seeker boats coming to Australia continues to increase but no matter what your own opinion maybe toward this particular topic of debate, Christmas is the perfect time reflect, recognise the families less fortunate than us and realise how important it is to help those in need.
“This December, over 2.1 billion Christians will celebrate the Christmas season. Children around the world will wait with baited breath for brightly coloured packages under the tree. A huge majority of the Western parents will spend more money than they can afford, buy more unnecessary garbage that will clutter their homes, and will kill more trees and natural resources on gift wrapping that will end up in the trash the day after. I won’t”. ~Gabi Klaf – The Nomadic Family Travel Blog
“Frugality is one of the most beautiful and joyful words in the English language, and yet one that we are culturally cut off from understanding and enjoying. The consumption society has made us feel that happiness lies in having things, and has failed to teach us the happiness of not having things.” ~Elise Boulding
If you would like to join the network of those helping others in need please visit –
Until next time, I hope you too will consider saving the gift of giving for those who need it most.
Sarah Louise x
References & useful links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_Island
http://www.christmas.net.au/
http://www.diveworldwide.com/placestosee/diving_christmas_island.html
http://5-travel.com/christmas-island-travel-info/
http://o.canada.com/2012/11/18/australias-asylum-seekers-find-nothing-but-misery-on-christmas-island/
http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/1295782/Asylum-seekers-Where-Australia-stands
http://thenomadicfamily.com/2011/11/poverty-for christmas/http://www.squidoo.com/divine-birds
A beautiful and very touching post Sarah!
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Lovely...Thought provoking. I am so over it all. Sorta.
ReplyDeleteWow, This was pretty amazing. Thanks for taking the time to write to write this post Sarah. I hope you stick around here
ReplyDeletefor a while, your writing is captivating.
Sarah Woods
I love your sentiments. Extremely thought provoking - love that too. It just seems to me that this Christmas, a lot of people are feeling this way - a bit over the consumerism & the wastage of too much junk. Bravo on your post!
ReplyDeleteMerci beaucoup for all of your lovely comments ladies.
ReplyDeleteIt’s true we can tend to be unnecessarily wasteful at this time of year, without really considering the consequence. I see so many homeless people living in brutally cold temperatures on the streets of Montreal and wonder how it can be that this exists in our modern day Western society. Many say we are entering a period of enlightenment, one that is guided by a higher level of consciousness, let’s hope so!
Sarah Woods is my inspiration, she is living proof it is possible to live a modest but successful, happy and fulfilled life. She’s so Zen!
Wishing you all a very Merry Xmas and an even happier and healthy New Year!
Sarah L x