And so in the journey
On this bright and sunny day
We come to the last Sunday,
It’s the last Sunday of the year.
Christmas day has passed
Though we are still in the season
And we continue to celebrate Christ,
The foremost and primary reason.
Fifty-two Sundays in all
Like a wild fire they have sped,
From the first one till the last
Right before our eyes they fled.
Some of us made resolutions
Few of which we have kept
And again we come to that time
When we look back in regret.
But never mind my friend,
We will do it again just like before
For it’s a cycle and a tradition,
And to the majority, it is no more.
The twelve days of Christmas
Will end on Old Year’s night
Just six days since Christmas day,
Yes, I have counted it right.
In the Barbadian tradition
We will be into the New Year,
The twelve days will have ended
When the eighth day appear.
I am well aware of the song
That we sing so convincingly
But on the first day of the year
Christmas ceases to be.
It is the practice in Barbados
That our twelve days are seven
And Christmas passes so fast,
It seems like all of a sudden.
Lights will be up a little longer
And Christmas songs will be played
But it just doesn’t feel like Christmas
On New Year’s Day.
There is a different focus
Especially regarding the year ahead,
For some, it is with a renewed hope
For others, it’s a sense of dread.
The seven days of Christmas
Are over in a flash
And at the beginning of the Year
There is little or no cash.
The excitement of the season
Is no longer inviting
And on eighth day of Christmas
We are no longer celebrating.
The beginning of the New Year
Spells the ending of Christmas
And the next four days of the season
Brings on a different thrust.
In just seven days it is over
Though we sing “twelve” in the song,
The New Year is upon us
And we have to move along.
The seven days of Christmas
To me, has become quite clear
So all that’s left for me to tell you is,
“Have a Happy New Year!”
Stewart Russell © December 2019
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