What is all this fuss about Christmas, and the 25th of December? Historically, the first recorded year when Christmas (Christ’s Mass) was celebrated was AD 336, during the time of Constantine. Initially, the Eastern churches celebrated it on January 6. Most scholars believe that the present date (December 25) was chosen as a replacement to the Roman festival of Saturnalia (December 17-23) as it was the date of the winter solstice.
Since then, as Christianity spread westward, it adopted many of the local cultural practices that we have now come to recognize as being part of the Christmas tradition. Christmas trees, yule logs, giving gifts, etc. were added on as the years went by. Later, when the Europeans came to India, they brought these traditions with them. That is why though most parts of India do not have a winter with snow – we still imagine and send cards with winter scenes and reindeer dashing through the snow!
Now, as we celebrate Christmas in India, we have embraced many of these customs and used them to remind ourselves of the birth of the “Prince of Peace,” of whom the angels sang, “Peace on earth, goodwill to all mankind.” Yet, it seems ironical that even as we celebrate the ‘Prince of Peace’ we are torn by strife, war and disunity; and this is not merely in the world around us, but in our homes and families, and even within ourselves.
So, I pray that as we read these reflections written by fellow Indians, we would not just feel “Christmas in the air.” Let us, instead, seek Jesus like the wise men of old, who came from the East; and may we experience His peace in our hearts.
May you have a Christ-centered Christmas! We hope you enjoy reading through these articles about a very Indian Christmas!
For most of us, the onset of December brings with it nostalgic memories of groups of carollers visiting our homes to share the joys of the Christmas season. As part of the children’s choir, I recall us singing enthusiastically through the night, as we visited the homes of our choir members. As we approached the house, we would start with a carol, which was meant to wake up the family.
Before fancy, imported plastic conifers were all the rage, Christmas preparations at home always included a large Casuarina Christmas tree. Growing up, I would wait eagerly for the Christmas week so that we could head out to the ‘instant’ pavement shops on street corners where they were sold. We would haggle for a good bargain and then head home with the biggest and bushiest tree we could find.
Christmas is a time when there is magic in the air. The colourful serial lights twinkle, making everything sparkle. They make even inanimate objects appear as if they were alive, winking at us. As a kid, one of my favourite Christmas rituals was setting up the manger or crib. Every year, the cardboard box which housed the clay figurines were brought down from the loft.
The star had been put up the previous night. A big star that my dad, brother, and I put together each year, as a traditional start to the Christmas season. When we woke up in the morning, we knew what was in store. The sound of kneading flour from the kitchen made us sigh. It was kul-kul making day! We heard Mom calling, and we settled down at the dining table with an air of resignation.
The season of Christmas is synonymous with gifts and giving. Children wait with eager excitement to open their gifts, placed under the Christmas tree. Many individuals, families, companies, and churches extend their benevolence to the needy during this time. Many programs during this season are focused on the distribution of food, clothes, and gifts to those who are in need.
Growing up, my memories of church service on Christmas day were all things sparkly and bright. I remember my mom waking us up at 2 AM for service. We would get dressed in our brightest and best, and my dad would take us to the church through dark, empty roads on his motorcycle. The beautifully decorated church, fully lit-up, would stand out like a beacon in the dark night.
Christmas is a much-looked-forward-to season for a lot of reasons. One of them is definitely the home-made sweets and savouries, typical in Indian households. During the run-up to Christmas day, every Christian house is filled with the aroma of lovely delicacies that smell and taste heavenly!
It was always different. The mood, the ambience, and the underlying sense of tranquillity, at the places we visited as a choir. When we visited hospitals, bringing cheer to patients, they followed us from ward to ward, as we sang the familiar Christmas carols. At the children’s ward, we saw little ones who were confined to a hospital bed on Christmas Day, due to one illness or another.
Christmas is the season when we brighten not only our cities, streets, and homes, but also ourselves. The temptation to improve on the previous season’s attire takes on an air of sacredness, when it comes to draping our bodies. I recall as a child, gazing at the mannequin in the showroom, and wondering if the dress on the mannequin would look better on me.
December was always my favourite month of the year when I was growing up. I always looked forward to the first day of December. As I skipped home from school, my heart would skip with excitement, for I knew exactly what awaited me – a beautiful paper lantern in the shape of a star. We had bought it at the market, just the Sunday before, and as my father hoisted me onto his shoulders to hang the star, my heart burst with excitement.
