I fully agree that both "wish" and "want" express a yearning for something. However, there's a subtle difference that separates these two words, which are often used during this holiday season of giving.
A wish often implies a strong aspiration for something that is not easily attainable, something that may not happen. It suggests a degree of improbability or even impossibility.
A want, on the other hand, is associated with more accessible or probable desires. It implies actively pursuing or striving for a desired outcome, like a desire to possess something, as expressed in the songs "All I Want for Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth" and "You're All I Want for Christmas."
Have you ever been curious about how the custom of giving and receiving presents started? Christmas wish/present 101: This tradition, for Roman Catholics, is a reminder of the gifts given to Jesus by the three Wise Men: Frankincense, Gold, and Myrrh. Gold, in particular, is associated with kings, and Christians believe that Jesus is the King of Kings.
Yes, Virginia, Christmas is celebrated differently from country to country, and the tradition of opening presents varies as well. While we Filipinos start the holiday season the earliest (in September), it's Dutch children who open their Christmas presents earliest, on December 5th, the eve of St. Nicholas' Day.
I read somewhere that Christmas is a time for sportsmanship because we don't always get everything we want. In this spirit, I randomly asked some personalities about their Christmas wish and what they wanted as a Christmas present.
SM Investment Corp. Chairman Amando "Say" Tetangco, Jr., who is already a single-handicapper, is passionate about his golf game. Both his wish and desired present relate to this gentleman's sport: "A better golf score and golf lessons."
Security Bank Director and retired Deutsche Bank country head Eric Cruz wished for his 91-year-old mother "to recover soon from her hip fracture." For his Christmas present: "Good health with a Rolex Daytona!"
Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Deputy Governor Berna Romulo-Puyat expressed a similar wish to Mr. Cruz: "My Christmas wish is for health and happiness, especially for my dad (former Executive Secretary and Senator Alberto Romulo), who is 91, and my mom (Lovely), who just turned 85. As for a present, having my kids home for the holidays is the best gift I could ask for."
Two politically adept market watchers aspired for "more governance, less politics" for the country to maximize its economic growth potential and catch up with our regional peers.
BDO Universal Bank Chairperson Teresita Sy-Coson wished for "peace and stability in the country." However, Ms. Sy-Coson believed she's "too old to look for presents."
Jonathan Ravelas, a Certified Financial Analyst and former BDO first vice president and chief market strategist, shared a similar aspiration to his former boss: "My only wish is for the Philippines to continue to rise above the challenges that confront us. May the Filipino people wake up to the reality that we must work together for a better Philippines that we could all be proud of."
"And for a Christmas present, I want peace. Hopefully, the fog of war does not enter the Philippines. The thought of war in the country makes me sad. My grandmother told me a lot of horrible stories, and I do not want to experience that, nor another debt moratorium in my lifetime."
Consul Aprilfleur Mejia wished for her and her husband, Elmer, to "have a baby." As for her Christmas present: "to finally move to their very own abode before the end of the month."
It's four days to go, and the waiting will finally be over. It will be Christmas Eve, which is most awaited by children and kids at heart, eager to open their presents, wanting to know if Santa listened to their wishes and wants.
For me, the best Christmas gift of all, which money can't buy, is the presence of a happy family. After all, the true meaning of Christmas is the celebration of God's ultimate gift: the birth of Jesus, the Christ child.
Merry Christmas, everyone!
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