And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David)To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.

And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn," Luke 2:1-21.

This is the biblical story of the birth of Christ. He was wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger because there was no room for them in the inn!

Christmas, as the celebration of Christ's birth has come to be known, is a much-hyped Christian holiday worldwide. The word occurs nowhere in the Bible for the obvious reasons that Christians declared it. According to Dr Richard P Bucher, the word Christmas is an old English word that means "Christ's Mass" which refers to the celebration of the Lord's Supper, that is the Mass. The earliest occurrence of the word on record is 1038 AD. Christians at this time considered the Mass (Lord's Supper) to be the most important part of the celebration of Christ's birth, hence it came to be called Christmas.

As for 28-year-old Malebogo Mogwe, a born again Christian, to her Christmas is a celebration in which she remembers the birth of Jesus, the Christ. Though the celebration is for a good cause; as Christ brought salvation to humanity, Mogwe says it is a pity that the celebration has lost its meaning.

" Today Christmas a very much commercialised and materialised celebration, and it no longer mean much," she says. 

Mogwe says though it is supposed to be a season of celebration, it also comes with the pressure of buying immediate family members gifts.

" The only true occurrence that gives the celebration its real taste is the singing at church and readings from the Bible, otherwise it has lost its definition," she says.Feature writer Laurie Pawlik Kienlen says people can simplify life during Christmas by reducing what they buy and use. One way of doing so is to 'go the white elephant.'

A white elephant gift exchange, she says encourages reusing and recycling, but it is not about getting rid of your old junk.

"It is a great way to simplify Christmas: you give something that you already own, such as a family heirloom or a glossy coffee table book you've enjoyed for ages. You could give someone an item they admired when they visited," she writes in Suites101.com, an online magazine and writers network.

Kielen says to cut expenses, gifts can be wrapped with paper already at home.
"Glossy magazine pages, colourful newspapers, old calendars, and children's art make great, simple Christmas gift wrap," she writes.

Moreover she advises that people use cloth or paper bags that their gift recipient can use for trips to the grocery store. Simplify Christmas by reducing what you buy and use.Gaone Molefhi is yet another person who decries the way the celebration is done. Molefhi is an occasional drinker, and he expresses concern on the excessive use of alcohol during the festive season.

The 30-year-old man says it is sad how irresponsible drinking takes lives and leads to destruction of  future assets.

"This is supposed to be a celebration of the birth of Christ, not the birth of drunkards and other social misfits," he said.

He encourages Batswana to be responsible because it is until every individual changes the mindset towards alcohol and substance abuse that the escalating road accidents and crime during the festive season can reduce.

A senior lecturer in the Department of Theology and Religious Studies at the University of Botswana (UB) Joseph Gaie says it is not wrong for people (non-Christians as well)  to celebrate the birth of Christ, but the important thing is how the celebration is done.

"Likewise, alcohol isn't a problem, but how people use it then becomes a problem," he says. Gaie urges people to be morally responsible and behave rationally as any irrational behaviour can be disastrous."There is no expression of joy when somebody drinks himself or herself to death," he says.

He says the message of Christ is that of deliverance as there came a ruler, and people need to behave in a loving way.

Gaie say people should look out for traders who are into promoting their goods and services, as managing personal finance is usually a problem.

"As rational beings, we have to know that Christianity is about liberating human souls; if people behave rationally we will have a joyous Christmas, and peace and tranquility will result," he says.