On Sunday December 2nd it signaled the New Christian Year of Advent.

Advent is a season observed in Western Christian churches as a time of expectant waiting and preparation for the celebration of the Nativity of Jesus at Christmas.

And even if you are not a Christian you could not help to notice Christmas is coming with all the big activities over the weekend.

Cayman Thanksgiving, the Singing Christmas Tree, Kiwanis Santa’s helicopter arrival and the Cayman 27 Parade of Lights at Camana Bay kept residents and visitors to do some decision making as to what event to go to.

And if you wanted something non Christmas, Rotary Central had their Music Extravaganza just to make the choice even more difficult and we mustn’t forget the Cayman National Cultural Foundation’s GimiStory . Wasn’t there also some sort of Run that took place on Sunday at the unearthly time of 5AM?

Considering the majority of the activities were free it is amazing that such a small country can stage so many big events and have them all so well supported, too.

I watched the Parade of Lights alone as my wife was at another function I didn’t mention. It was a private church dinner to commence the celebrations of 90 Years of Elmslie United Church.

It’s been a difficult year for all of us but the signs are good that things will improve.

We have even just heard that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are expecting their first child.

And around this time over 2,000 years ago so was a young lady named Mary also pregnant with her first child.

A “wild man” named John the Baptist, who lived in the wilderness eating locusts and wild honey (not my favourite diet – the locusts definitely not), announced and challenged people to prepare for the coming of the Messiah.

So let’s all prepare ourselves, no matter what religion, agnostic or atheist, we title ourselves. There is something to look forward to and here in Cayman we have a General Election next year.

Can you already feel the excitement? You can already see it with many gardens aglow with fantastic decorations of lights. What a wonderful season Advent is.