EVERY YEAR whenever our Independence celebrations come around, we are certain to hear some source fretting about how much more emphasis Barbadians tend to place on celebrating Christmas, than they do on marking their country's Independence Day.

It becomes an issue since our Independence Day is November 30 and this time is also regarded as the start of the "holiday season", associated with the build-up to Christmas Day. Local stores and those in other countries regarded as Christian are prone to roll out decorations and merchandise, specially provided for this occasion and time of year. It has been so for generations.

What threatens to become an issue where we are concerned is that the "Christmas feeling" tends to submerge the Independence spirit and so, even when Bajans are saying or showing what Independence means to them, they are preoccupied with Christmas planning.

Traditionally, this is the time when money is spent on making their homes more attractive; people "giving" themselves some item, including clothing, for which they had to save part of their earnings over a long period, or by spending "bonuses", where these are forthcoming from their employers,

As a result, our people are heard talking more about what they plan to spend for Christmas than for the celebration of the anniversary of our country's Independence. Even "Independence" sales do not attract as many customers willing to spend with such prompting, as would be willing to do so merely because it is Christmas, the "holiday season".

Then there is the Christmas music which helps to create the Christmas spirit. With all this, it is no wonder that many people feel Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year.

Anyone who really believes that Bajans look forward to celebrating the country's Independence anniversary with the same enthusiasm as they celebrate Christmas is not aware of Bajan traditions and thinking.

Nor does such an attitude or behaviour make Bajans unpatriotic.

The "feel good" spirit that a sense of independence of our country engenders is not the same, nor can it match, the spirit of "peace on earth and goodwill to men" that marks the Christmas celebration.

Furthermore, while our Independence celebration is isolated to only our country, in celebrating Christmas we become part of a worldwide community with no national boundaries. For in marking the birth of Christ we do so, not as Bajans, but as Christians, adoring the gift of love to all mankind from God which was marked by Christ's coming into the world to live among men.

It has been noted that we can give without loving. But it was because God "so loved [the world] that He gave His Only Begotten Son . . . " to make possible our salvation. This is the Christian belief.

What is also most interesting is that one does not have to be a Christian or even "believe" in Christmas to appreciate the importance of "peace on earth and goodwill to men", for even when men's hearts are full of war and they are not Christians, they might be heard talking of peace.

To acknowledge all this is not to say that we must not "render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's . . . " as Christ, also advised. But we, too, must be prepared to render to God the things that are God's and in so doing get our priorities correct.

It is also a big mistake to associate outstanding intelligence with all elected to office in democracies. All around the world we have evidence that the most intelligent people in countries do not form the governments. It helps when leaders realise this and accept their need for advice and help in governing.

* Robert Best is a former managing editor of the Barbados Advocate.