Christmas spirit

'Tis the season to be jolly, and Czechs are doing a wonderful job of putting the global economic crisis on hold for the holidays. Shops are bustling, friends and even foes are exchanging gifts and goblets, and ever-busier families are plotting to make up for the quality time they lost during the year. All too soon it will be back to life as usual, except that for many people hit hard by the crisis, life won't ever be the same again. How nice it would be if the Christmas spirit could be stored in suspended animation and distributed throughout the year. It would go a long way toward easing the hardships that are to come. What it would require is for each person to do whatever is in his or her power to contribute to society, whether by working harder, sharing more or suppressing antisocial tendencies. Asking this of politicians might be too tall an order, but there's nothing to prevent the people from setting the example, instead of the other way around. So, raise your glass and drink to more of that Christmas spirit throughout 2009. [Czech Republic]