You don’t need a red coat & white beard to be Santa.

Christmas is the season of giving. We spend cold December mornings going over friend lists and looking for perfect gifts, and come Christmas day, we smile when we see our family & friends unwrap their gifts, and smile secretly as we unwrap ours.

Remember the time when we were kids? We would snuggle up into our beds on Christmas eve, but never fall fast asleep until we saw what Santa had got us that year.

They say Santa Claus is fake, but to me, the concept of Santa is at the core of humanity. I think Santa lives in each of us, not necessarily as a fat old man with a long beard, but as kindness, love and a desire to make others around us happy. When we were kids, our parents showed us what Santa was like. Now it’s our turn.

Let’s play Secret Santa this year to kids who’ve never known why Christmas is merry and to families in need of some holiday cheer. Let’s volunteer and donate for a good cause. Christmas, after all, is the season of giving.

• Volunteer your time: Everyone has off-days to clear towards the end of the year. Spend them at a children’s center, at an old people’s home, or as a helping hand for a neighborhood organization. You are your best gift.

• Volunteer your ideas & effort: This is your chance to be a holiday entrepreneur. Pick a socially inclined organization, find a creative idea and organize a drive to collect gifts in cash or kind. Your appeal is your best gift.

• Volunteer your money: Use that holiday bonus you’re hoarding in your bank account to spread some smiles. Your happiness grows when you share it 😉

Happy holidays to all. Be good. Be like Santa.

Shivya Nath

Welcome to my blog, The Shooting Star. I’ve been called a storyteller, writer, photographer, digital nomad, “sustainability influencer,” social entrepreneur, solo traveller, vegan, sustainable tourism consultant and environmentalist. But in my heart, I’m just a girl who believes that travel – if done right – has the power to change us and the world we live in.