Salome Phelamei and Chonmipem Horam
Christmas festival is celebrated around the globe with the mere portrait of babe Jesus lying in a manger of Bethlehem’s cold night. Although traditions and foods associated with it vary with climate, culture and country, the passion is the same. Homes and shops decorated with Christmas Trees, Christmas Stars and coloured lights. People post Christmas greetings cards to their friends and family during this season, and these cards are hung on the walls of their homes.
Festivity of Christmas continues from mid December to January 1, the New Year’s Day. Fun-filled activities take place all through these days, giving Christmas gifts to the near and dear ones, singing Christmas carols while going from house to house. Santa Claus moving around the street and distributing sweets to children is also a common site. At home, womenfolk busy themselves in preparation for traditional cakes and cookies.
In the North-East, mid night service is held in all the churches on 24th day of December. In the meantime, Christmas cake is cut and distributed to the entire congregation. People participate in the special mass in the morning. This is followed by combined community feasts, games & sports organized by the Churches. In the villages, one of the most enjoyable moments is the beautiful Christmas bonfire in the cold winter night, where villagers gather and have fun.
Sometimes Christmas celebration in the village seems more enjoyable and emotional than in city, with the kids putting new attires on this day. As children in the village rarely wear new dresses except during Christmas, which makes it different from other days.
In South India, Christians light clay lamps on the rooftops and walls of their houses, the same way as Hindus decorate their homes during the Diwali festival. In Bangalore,
Christmas is celebrated with their unique traditions and rituals. `Kolattam` (Stick dance), dramas, `Harikathas` and songs on the birth of Jesus are an integral part of Christmas celebrations of Telugu Christians. Anglo Indian families have a classic pot roast lunch with homemade wine made a year before followed by the traditional Christmas cake. The next day is just for the good feast, beautiful dresses, family gathering and a peaceful church service. After the mass, like Mumbaikar`s sweets are distributed among the relatives and friends in the city with a Christmas card.
Meanwhile in Goa, a large number of domestic and international tourists flock to the beaches to watch Goa at its cultural best. Catholics in Goa participate in the traditional midnight mass services locally called Missa de Galo or Cock Crow as they go on well into early hours of the morning. The Carnival, preceding Lent, is the most important event at Goa. This is similar to Mardi Gras in New Orleans.
Christmas Decor… without a tree?
So the Christmas tree is up to say the strongest indication that “Christmas is here”. No Christmas celebration is complete without the ‘Christmas tree’. In villages, most of the families go for “Christmas tree hunting” by mid-December which has become an embedded part of Christmas traditions. Real and artificial Christmas trees are decorated with cotton snow flakes, bells, coloured balls, candy canes and other coloured decorative in different shapes.The tree is then flood-lit in festive red and green to highlight the star, which is put on top making a perfect Christmas spirit.
The bright shinning “Star”
After Jesus was born, it was the bright shinning Star that guided the magi ( 3 wisemen ) to Joseph’s and Mary’s residence at Bethlehem. They were certainly men of learning. Probably we would call them philosophers or scientists. When they saw an unusual new Star “Supernova” known from astronomical records, they knew that it told of the birth of a special king. They followed the direction of the Star and eventually found the baby Jesus lying in a manger. To bring honour to the child, they brought rich gifts: gold, frankincense and myrrh. After offering their respective gifts, they left for their own country by another road, having been warned in a dream by the Angel not to return to Herod. The Star stopped over the place where the child was. And, it says that like all created things which naturally break down after having fulfilled their mission, the star must have burst and splintered.
“You are special, you are unique; may your Christmas be also as special and unique as you are! Merry Christmas!”
