Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Dec 22, 2007
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Online edition of India's National Newspaper Saturday, Dec 22, 2007 ePaper |
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Ultimately is it not the primary function of festivals – to bring a smile on everybody’s faces? How many times we have seen those funny little street urchins bursting what they call the ‘usi vedi’ or ‘bijli vedi’ (smallest variety of crackers, costing next to nothing) on Diwali? Or for that matter, the whole season of fas ting, preceding the Ramzan Season is about the haves sharing with the have-nots. Christmas is not very different from this universal understanding of festivals. Take a guess at who the happiest people were, on the day when Jesus was born. In addition to the mother’s joy of giving form to a new life, the Bible says that Mary, Mother of Jesus, was confused because of the mystery enveloping the child’s birth. The hue and cry made over the child’s birth, the impending danger of King Herod going after the child and the strange visit of wealthy wise men from the east stole a part of the joy of the nascent joy of a mother. Joseph, the child’s foster father would have been equally disturbed by the fact that he was not able to find a decent place for his wife to deliver her first-born. The tradition holds that the Magi, three wise men from the east – Balthasar, Gaspar and Melchior came to adore baby Jesus with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. They should have been happy but their attention was split, perhaps because they were worried about giving gift befitting the stature of the child. Also they would have been concerned about giving gifts befitting their social status as well. We are finally left with the unenviable visitors – the first visitors to adore baby Jesus, who are none other than the shepherds of Bethlehem . The shepherds had no comets to chase for they were directly invited by the angels themselves. They had no gifts to give, no pledges to keep, perhaps they had their family and their sheep to worry about, but the joy of paying a visit to the new-born Jesus superseded all their concerns. They were least worried whether they were the first or the last of the visitors. And when they were there, they were engrossed in mystery, awe and joy at seeing the saviour lying helpless in a manger. They sure did hear the synchronous singing of the angels and seraphim. It did capture their attention but not so much as to sully the joy of seeing their saviour. Christian tradition has tales which exemplify the joy and generosity of the shepherds. The tale of the ‘Drummer boy’ is one such example. The story goes that a poor shepherd boy came to pay visit to Baby Jesus and he had nothing to give but his drums. And after much hesitation he sings a song of praise to the child. The song, ‘Parupumpum…’ is his gift to the new-born. Perhaps all the shepherds who came to adore the child had a song on their lips on their way back to the grazing fields. They would have sung the ‘Gloria’ that the angels sang in the most carefree manner, for once again they had nothing to worry - the sopranos, the altos and the tenors was not their cup of tea. All they had was a magnanimous heart with which to praise their Lord and a tongue to shout their praises. There is – in all the festivals – this sense of unadulterated joy, the intent of goodness for all and a heart full of love. Christmas is no exception to these sentiments. The fun lies in joining these simplistic expressions of joy breaking through barriers of caste, creed and religion SUN AUSTRALIA CONSULTANTS PVT. LTD., Chennai. They are conducting a 2-day SEMINAR on EDUCATION & CAREER OPPORTUNITIES in Australia and New Zealand at FEMINA Hotel, 14-C, Williams Road, Cantonment, Trichy on 22nd & 23rd Dec.2007. The Organization spearheaded by a young and energetic entrepreneur Mr. Solai Mani, an Australian Resident, has proved to be cent percent authentic in all the VISA processes. With Business Associates both at Australia and NZ and tie-ups for Tertiary Education, value-added services are p rovided Overseas for all their clients. Genuine Assistance in lodging applications for approval of VISAS and creating dream career a reality is the prime specialization of this organization. Mangal & Mangal
A leading jewelers and household name in Trichy has opened up an exclusive 3 floors showroom on Furniture and Electronics to cater to the needs of Tiruchites. The showroom houses branded white goods like TV, Fridge, Washing Machine, Microwave Oven, Grinder, Fans, Cell Phone, Lap Tops, Digital Camera, Water Heater, DVD Players, Home Theatres, Plasma TVs etc, besides Sofa Sets, Dining Tables, Cots, Home Decorative and Imported Furniture are displayed. Step into the shop to e xperience Best Quality, Least Price and Great Customer Service for this New Year shopping.
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