So here we are…another year drawing to a close as your Eyewitness taps out this reflection rather bleary-eyed. Not because of any excesses over the Christmas holidays, which have reverted to being their pagan Saturnalia!! Now, that was inevitable, wasn’t it?? You don’t graft on a celebration of whatever sort – here the birth of Jesus – to a centuries-old “sport” and don’t expect some “cross- fertilisation”!! According to one account, lest you think your Eyewitness is making this up as he goes along:
“Beginning in the week leading up to the winter solstice, and continuing for a full month, Saturnalia was a hedonistic time, when food and drink were plentiful and the normal Roman social order was turned upside down. For a month, enslaved people were given temporary freedom, and (were) treated as equals. Business and schools were closed, so that everyone could participate in the holiday’s festivities.” Saturn was the god of agriculture, and – as even today – grapes were a major crop – along with its product, wine, that flowed like the river Tiberius! At this time, a jolly good time was had by one and all!
Because of this association with Bacchus – the god of wine, hence the term bacchanalian revelry!! – a lot of the early Christians didn’t accept Christmas being celebrated in December. But, as most Guyanese obviously see it, “good sense” prevailed, and here we are, back to square one. Our offices – especially Government offices – to all intents and purposes, were closed for the obligatory “Christmas party”!! There was not a town, village or hamlet in the land that didn’t indulge during this period. To not do so would’ve been practically “anti-Guyanese”!! Wine, women and song abounded inside, while outside, the usual choppings, killings, robberies and DIUs were indulged!!
Now, of recent, there’s been much chatter about “Guyanese Kulcha”. But interestingly, none of the members of the chatterati class – who fill our letters’ pages and social media with woke virtue signalling – have weighed in with their thoughts about our Christmas celebrations. Your Eyewitness felt at least some would’ve condemned the mixing of the religious spirit with the alcoholic spirits!! Do they feel that imbibing is OK, or is it a case of “if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em”??
But one thing your Eyewitness knows for sure. The days when all the end-of-year bonuses were spent on sprucing up homes with curtains and chachkas are long gone. All of that money’s now poured into the Saturnalia!! Did you see the profits of Banks this year?? With all the talk about folks can’t make ends meet, they increased their sales to $39.653 billion – reflecting a rise of $3.795 billion!!
That’s a whole lotta beer quaffed!!
…at our politics
All your Eyewitness can say about politics is that he’s neither surprised nor disappointed with the behaviour of the Opposition. After what they did in 2020 with their attempted rigging heist, what else could they do but try to brazen their way out. Fortunately for them, in this age of fake news, it looks like a lot of their supporters fell for their “illegally-installed cabal” spiel hook, line and sinker. People do hear what they want to hear!!
From the claimed “installation”, the Opposition segued into their discrimination spiel – starting with COVID treatment – even though they were “anti-vaxx” – and continued with every directed assistance the Government gave out. Which program the IDB just complimented the said PPP Government!! And, of course, we can’t forget the Opposition’s claims of an “emerging apartheid state”, can we? With one of the main features of apartheid being segregation, your Eyewitness always thought that’s what the PNC achieved in the 1960s – with their X-13 Plan.
This segregated every village in Demerara!!
…to the future
Does the past actually predict the future?? Well, not if we – as thinking humans – ensure we don’t repeat the mistakes of the past!!
Meaning that the Opposition gotta ensure they attract cross-over votes for a majority!!
