Kerala   

It’s Santa Time Again

The day marking the birth of Jesus Christ is celebrated across the world with jubilation and splendour. The colourful nature of the festivities with its tradition of gifting, beautifully adorned Christmas tree, bright stars and yummy cakes, all have captured the imagination of not just Christians but people following other religions also.

Among the traditional aspects of celebrations that bring colour to the festivities include the brightening of homes with stars and decorating the Christmas tree. It is believed that the Christmas star signaled the birth of Jesus to faraway people. In continuance of the tradition, homes are lit with the brilliant hues of the stars. The market is flooded with stars in interesting prints and designs. Decorating the Christmas tree is another colourful element of the festival.

The trees, which come in different sizes to suit modern day requirements, are available in three kinds; pine trees, deluxe trees and ordinary ones.

Creative people are found lavishing time in choosing the correct tree adornments. Some of the adornments used in the Christmas tree are balls, bells and miniature Santa figurines. A beautifully done up Christmas tree is a treat in itself. Adding glee to the festivities is the association of the joyous old gentleman, the Santa Claus. It could be said that the Santa is perhaps one of the few saintly personalities who has a universal appeal.

Born as Nicholas, he went on to become St.Nicholas due to his saintly deeds. The popular image of Santa was however created by German-American cartoonist Thomas Nast.

The Santa, in his red and white robe, is a special favourite of children. The house visits of Santa are keenly awaited by young ones. Accompanied by choir groups, kids treasure this opportunity to dance to the tune of Christmas carols. Christmas is also the time when homemakers get busy with making cakes. A season of heavy rush for bakeries, cakes have now come to become popular Christmas gifts. For gourmets, Christmas is best ushered in with the aroma of a freshly baked cake. Apart from the plum cake, which is a traditional favourite, there are also available other rich and tempting varieties of cakes in the market today. For those who wish to bake a cake at home and are not quite confident of the right mix and consistency, the ready-to-use cake mixers are a testable option. Ranked among the most popular desserts, even non-Christians use Christmas as an opportunity to feast on some mouth-watering cakes. Christmas, like other festivals, is also a time for spreading love, exchanging greetings and good wishes. Greeting cards carrying attractive designs and pieces of creative writing have been an all-time favourite method for exchanging greetings. The popularity of greeting cards does not seem to have come down even in this electronic age. All major shopping centres are found stocking up greeting cards, in addition to the plentiful collection offered by wayside vendors.

Those who associate Christmas with purchase of new clothes need also not be disappointed. All latest and trendiest dress materials have been stocked up by textile dealers and boutiques well in advance.

Rema Sundar

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