24th
December, the day before Christmas Day started early for the young ones. They
got themselves
engrossed in making a Manger and placing images of the Nativity.
Some of them were running around with huge wooden ladder and climbing to tie
out the colourful paper strips in the locality. Soon the area, our small
Christian Para (Christian Dwelling) wore a real festive look ! Their hectic
work schedule were often punctuated by shouting from grandpas and grandmas “time
for lunch... please come home....” But their routine answers were “just ten minutes more, and we would be through !” My
daughter- in- law made a huge show-man which was placed next to a Santa outside
our home. It was very nicely made . By the time we could gather for the lunch
it was already well paste
noon !
After the Lunch it
was continuation of the routine for the boys, and, this time the girls took the
charge of the decorating the church... with lots of mistletoes and flowers of
varied colours.
25th
December, 2016
We woke with the
boom of the sound box playing “jingle bells”. Around 7.30 in the morning we all
gathered in our church of the locality. It is a small church with a sitting
capacity of about 40 . On occasion like this we arrange for close circuit
television transmission on the first floor room of the church so that those
who
could not make it inside the church can still can go upstairs and join the
worship. It was an hour-long service. Less of sermon and more of carols ! Along
with traditional English tune carols, we also sing a few Bengali Christian songs
set on old folk tunes. After the service we gathered outside the church for
cake and coffee. There after we had Christmas Tree and all at the congregation got
some useful prizes by picking up lucky number. The prizes were house hold items like comb, tea
stainer, mug, soap case, small kitchen cans and so on ! There after we gathered
to pose for a family photograph...... a very old tradition very religiously
followed every year.... of course the photographer changes with
changing times.
In olden days it was one of my uncles who was a passionate photographer who did
it. Thereafter my elder brother-in-law, followed by me for some years.
Presently my son is doing the photography for the past several Christmas !
Thereafter, there
was the gathering of friends and
relatives inside and outside our house.... with hot coffee, home made cakes and my daughter made a lot of
chocolates to share for this occasion.
Around noon
relatives from far flung places started arriving for the Christmas Lunch. This
is a participatory event where every one shares the
expenses for the food. I
have some long tables which are taken
out of our store-room for this occasion ! The lunch menu was very much a
Bengali fare... Rice, Dal, mixed vegetable curry, chicken curry, sweet chutney,
papad and sandesh (milk sweets). There were about 50 persons joining the meal.
In the evening I was
sitting on a chair in front of the decorated Manger... playing Santa, by
presenting each visiting child a small Santa replica and a toffee ! Till late
evening there were a good number of children who visited this festive arena. Around
9.45 in the night we had our night meal .... the
loud speaker outside still playing “Man
will live for ever more because of Christmas Day”!
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