Former Immigration and Refugee Board member Jose Borgoos book "Torn between two Worlds" states how immigrants are always "with one foot here and the other one over there (in their homeland)"; something that Roberto, a physician from Peru, has to go though every holiday season.

"I feel trapped between two distant worlds. I have one half of my family here (Canada) and the other in Lima," says this doctor who has to work eight or nine months straight in his medical practice to be able to visit his children every end of year.

Although Canada is a country that practises freedom of religion, according to the last Census, the Roman Catholics still lead the denominations with 43.2 per cent. Christmas (Christ's Mass) - the celebration of the birth of Jesus for the Christian world - is a homogeneous event from which people can hardly abstract themselves.

For some it is a "pagan ritual", but since over the years the festivity has become less religious and more of an excessive consumerism, many assume the occasion just as a season of joy.

I asked my Muslim friends how they felt about the whole thing and they mentioned that some of them have trespassed their credo and have joined along in the festivities.

"Our children don't understand. We are respectful. We go away somewhere, relax and enjoy but yes, we must give a gift to our children," they admitted.

After all, and no matter what religious belief you follow, children are children and who are we to take the magic away from them?

May God (or whichever creator you believe in - if any) be with you, but most of all have a safe and happy holiday season.

- Mirna Concha has worked in multicultural settings as counsellor and journalist. She has specialized in culture shock and newcomers' issues. She can be reached at mirna.concha@theheritagenetwork.ca.