OPINION: Give the gift of craft in Kilkenny this Christmas

In the commercialisation of Christmas, buying craft is our counterpunch to the corporate machine. And more besides.

Handmade goods are imbued with an undecipherable value, each one individual, unique and original. For only a machine can repeat a process exactly.

The human is forever changing, if not in method, then in mood. And the thing, the scarf, bowl, sword, belt is an amulet, more so than any crystal pendant pressed on a conveyor belt.

For it is the result of human concentration.

Human concentration, the precursor to stillness, the foundation of human enlightenment. How exalted is a quiet mind and an engaged body. How precious the resulting item.

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Being a child of air and Mercury; a creature of the mental realm; I struggled ever to achieve the steady pragmatism that came easily to my friends with a manual vocation.

I think of Mishel, the potter and Cearbhuil, the builder, who would shake their heads listening to my long analysis of some subject or other, and void my complicated reasoning with a single simple statement of fact. Oh, how I envied them, their simplicity, their dexterity, their patience and preciseness.

But motherhood has brought this aspect chun cinn. Motherhood in its awesome grounding function, does make crafters of us all.

And so, I start to understand a bit, what it means, to ‘support local crafters at Christmas’. A phrase that never landed in my maiden brainscape.

I feel it now when the weather gets cold and natures phléascs into colour; this inclination to craft. To thread burnt orange beech leaves and pinecones in bunting, to stitch the holes in jumpers and replace the ears on the teddy bears eaten by the idle dog; to felt and paint, and carve and weave.

Winter is a time of craft, when the energy retreats down. From the ‘oh-so busy’ crown, down. Down from the mind. And into the hands.

But hand craft is expensive. And times are lean. Better to shop online, get the things you really want. To those well and often made points, I say: Christmas is not for getting the things you want; that’s what birthdays are for. Christmas is for craft. And the art of giving surely is begotten from the art of buying.

Or making, as the case may be.

For where did the tradition of giving originate? From a saint called Nicholas who gave to the poor? From a commercial designed by Coca Cola?

Or did it come from those long winter nights long ago, when spinning, sowing, carving and moulding would pass the hours.

From those days before television and the internet, when our distraction was flame and scéal and ceird.

And by the shortest day, after all those long evenings in front of the fire, whittling and weaving to pass the time, did we find we had an excess of baskets and blankets?

And did we share our excess with our neighbours? In that most natural way of giving. To give when the cup runneth over.

This was to be an article about craft; about the anonymous amulets that ye buy in community stalls around the country.

This was to be an article to promote the advent fair at the Steiner School in Ballytobin, Kilkenny. The little school that could, that should, that would, if only enough people came...

The little school that is getting smaller by the year, because yes times are lean, houses are thin on the ground and education elsewhere is free. And other reasons. Other articles.

This was to be an article to inspire ye to give to the worthiest cause in a cacophony of causes; that of the preservation of a child's spirit. For this is the crux of Steiner education.

But now it has become an article on the art of giving. What can become a lost art in an affluent society. When we all have too much stuff. And the children are spoilt with it.

For many years now, I have been unmotivated to shop at Christmas; Gone are the days of going through the motions, ticking the names off the list.

Taking craft out of the equation, the tradition of giving is losing meaning. The idea to share an excess in lean times is natural and hints at our innate altruism. And it is the kind of giving that increases both the giver and the receiver.

To buy presents for family members who may have more than you; can generate internal resistance. To be manipulated into this buying by neural linguistic advertising campaigns and social expectation can generate resentment. This will decrease both the giver and the receiver.

Reclaim the art of giving. Give to those with less. And receive from those with more.

Redressing the balance of an inequitable world. Let this be a practice of the season of giving, the season of peace. For what is peace, only balance.

To those poor in financial resources and rich in talent. Give of yourself. Of your art and craft and time. To the former, open your wallet. Redress the balance. Not by supporting a corporate creature that is already grown fat by gorging the land; this will only exacerbate the imbalance but by supporting (invariably) poor artisans.

This Steiner school is rich in knowledge, culture, community, but it is short on funds. For those that would support local craft, who would witness and absorb this haven of wholesomeness and could spare a few euro.

Do come to our Advent Fair this Saturday in Ballytobin. This Christmas, give what you have an abundance of.