Every year the Local Authorities make sure to complete the Christmas decorations on time, in order to properly prepare the citizens for Christmas and the coming of the new year. Christmas lights, manger, stars, colorful lanterns, Santa Clauses, reindeer, snowmen and other decorative objects adorn several cities, thus offering joy to children and society in general.
This year 's Christmas celebrations will, however, be different from other years, as restrictive measures to tackle the spread of the coronavirus pandemic have hit both citizens and local authorities financially. Many Municipalities are forced to make cuts in this year's decoration or to contact, as usual, groups of volunteers and individuals for their own participation, contribution and assistance.
The comments we receive every year about Christmas decorations vary, because some people like it, others find it nice, others boring or monotonous and others claim that the same lights and objects are placed every year.
The Local Authorities accept the well-intentioned criticism, since respect for the other or opposite point of view helps us to become better. Good faith criticism is welcome, as long as it is expressed in a civilized context, without insults and with pure intentions.
Local Authorities should utilize volunteers, young people and students for the arts facilities, thus giving citizens the opportunity to participate in the festive spirit of Christmas and the coming of the New Year. We should, therefore, expect to see the result of volunteering first and to credit the people who work, to make our lives more beautiful. Behind every ornament or light is hidden a "little artist", who with simple materials created an artistic installation and was not satisfied with the purchase of ready-made, imported ornaments.
Citizens should be proud of their place and their cultural background. That is why the participation and the offer of voluntary work reveal the level of civil society. When the citizens together with the hardworking and official staff of the Local Authorities create artistic installations for us, we should definitely praise them. Everyone can interpret an artistic installation as they wish and judge it according to their own aesthetics. But let us not forget, as the Greek newspaper "Ta Nea" wrote earlier, that "Art is not what you see, but what makes others see it".
So the task for the Local Authorities, especially this year, whether the Christmas decoration will be liked or will cause various comments is quite difficult. We fully understand that bad psychology needs something encouraging and enjoyable, but it is understandable that due to size and budget we can not apply the decoration of large European capitals.
Citizens and especially children are happy with the beautiful festive decorations, which can be different, but also contain traditional forms of art and creation, without being incomplete and incomplete.
So let's not fight over the aesthetics of Christmas decorations and not take online criticism as a norm, which can hurt people, who work voluntarily and non-profit, to offer us joy and beauty. In a difficult period that humanity is going through with the economic crisis and the spread of the pandemic, volunteers are a key support for Local Authorities and society at large. The endless discussions about something that conflicts with our aesthetics and our taste, are unnecessary and cause frustration and sadness, both in the difficult times that our place is going through, and in the difficulty in finding volunteers.
Andros G. Karagiannis
Mayor of Deryneia