The run-up to Christmas is great if you have kids as there is no shortage of events to take them to in Larnaca, but the thing that really grinds my gears, is their late start.
We – like most parents I know in the English speaking community – feed our kids early (6pm) and get them to bed at a reasonable time for developing brains and bodies (7.30/45pm), but half these events start too late for us to attend them. It seems to be the cultural norm, and accepted for Cypriot children not go to bed until 9pm, and some later still, hence the late start times.
When I tell my family in the village that we can't come for dinner because they are inviting us at 9pm, they are incredulous and tell me off for sending my 'poor' children to bed 'with the chickens'. Then they try to tell me that the early morning wake-ups (my kids typically wake up at 6am) are because they go to bed too early. I completely refute this as we have had later nights when there is an occasion we cannot miss, and they have still been up at the crack of dawn. My kids can't handle later bedtimes, and to be honest, neither can I – parents have got to have some down time at the end of the day!
Whilst my kids (and often I) are tucked up in bed, I can hear the children of the neighbourhood running riot well past 9pm on weekdays and past midnight on weekends and the summer. Surely these children are falling asleep at their school desks, or at least, not concentrating the way they should?
Moving away from the start times and on to the events, we have been particularly bombarded with charity Christmas events this year, and they all follow the same format of 'bazaar' with handmade gifts and decorations and a bit of musical entertainment. Due to our dire situation they have been organised in their droves, and whilst I am all for the spirit of giving, we can't give to all these events and spread ourselves so thinly, especially when the majority of them are almost identical in what they offer.
In my humble opinion, the town should have organised one mega, massive, properly organised event where all the charities could combine forces and split the proceeds. I am talking about a huge extravaganza with Santa in his grotto, good quality stalls, bouncy castle, clowns, face painters, Christmas music, fairground rides, proper Christmas food and drink, big name celebrity performances, children's characters, arts and crafts, Christmas film screenings, story time and, and, and. One big, magical affair that would attract crowds from all over the island, thus making more money for charitable causes than these multiple little bazaars must be making.
I would suggest it for next year, but I am really hoping that by then everyone will be in a better position and won't be in such desperate need….
P.S… Merry Christmas!
This piece first appeared in the Cyprus Weekly newspaper Saturday 21/12/13.
