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Photos: S. James

Nativity The manger scene

Yes, the jingle of bells not only heralds the oncoming festive season but also makes the old man in red attire with his white flowing beard and sack full of gifts inseparable from celebrations. He sings and dances on the roads and goes visiting homes and school spreading the holy message and bringing a smile on everybody’s face.

Take a stroll on East Aavani Moola Street, and you will find it difficult to miss the six-foot Santa Claus with his Saxophone moving within the limited space and dancing to his favourite tunes. Yes, this year’s Christmas attraction is the life-size Santa Claus. “Though he visited last year he was not suitable for many purses, but this year he perfectly fits into all kinds of purses,” says Suresh Kumar Jain, a wholesale dealer on the street.

These Santa dolls are imported from China. The dolls are cheap and this time shopkeepers have imported in bulk to make both shopping and window shopping an enjoyable experience.

If last year, the life size Santa Claus was priced at Rs.9000 and above, this year, he is Rs.3,000 less and has flooded the market in various sizes and with different price tags. The old man dolls which operate on battery come for Rs.175 minimum while the ones without a battery cost Rs.30. These are made in Mumbai and Calcutta.

What is noteworthy is that in this month of universal celebration of joy, love and peace, the letter ‘C’ takes precedence over all other. For, C is for Christmas, cakes, candles, carols and candies – all of which combine for a great celebration. The Christmas tree and the hanging stars and bells add to the spirit of Christmas.

The Christmas trees too are available in various sizes from two feet to 10 feet and costing from Rs.40 to Rs.1800. Shoppers can choose a tree that suits their budget. Depending on size and material used, the five-pointed stars come for Rs. Three to Rs.70. This year a new variety that has swarmed the market is the cut-type stars with designs of flowers and butterflies attached to them.

Once decoration is taken care of, it is the heady smell of wine-soaked raisins, cherries, minced and dry fruits and nuts that overpowers the olfactory nerves. Christmas celebration can never be complete without cakes?

The British Bakery this year has created its own show with symbolic snow structures and is offering ice creams made in the form of cakes. It is first of its kind in Madurai. It has 80 per cent ice cream and 20 per cent cake, says V. Balasundaram, proprietor. Ice cream cakes are available for Rs.400 per kg. Besides, the bakery gives Marzipan gift basket, fresh cream kiwi, fresh cream mango and almond cakes. On order Jeyaram Bakery gives Marzipan icing and royal icing on cakes which fill up the racks attractively. The special item of this shop is the rich plum cake for Rs.220 per kg.

Though the city has a wide number of bakeries offering cakes, the new entrant Nilgiris has joined the bandwagon of Temple City’s Christmas celebrations. Nilgiris is offering cakes weighing from half-a-kilo to 2.5 kg that comes in containers as well as in pieces. Besides the usual plum cake, it is also offering 106 varieties of novel cakes that come in unique designs and figures.

Schools and colleges join in celebrating Christmas both for fun and offer charity to the needy as it is a celebration of giving. The Lady Doak College students presented tableaux depicting various scenes from the Holy Bible – Manger Scene to miracle scenes of Lord Christ. The entire premise was dotted with events that happened in the era of Jesus Christ.

Christmas across India is joyously celebrated as a festival even with people joining from other faiths as it happens during Deepavali and Eid celebrations.

“Christians flock to the church to participate in the Christmas eve midnight mass midnight but we too try to celebrate by wishing them and eating cakes and chicken and turkey biriyanis,” says B.Gandhi, a house wife, who was busy choosing a Santa Claus in a shop for her eight-year-old granddaughter M. Dhanya.

“Our children prefer to celebrate all festivals. Deepavali, Christmas or Eid, children do not know to differentiate. For them, it is lamps for Deepavali and candles for Christmas. Both radiate light. Only elders are conscious and make divisions,” says Ms.Gandhi. Indeed it is celebration time in true sense. Nothing can dampen the spirit, rain or shine, cold or the unusual weather this time round. Santa is bringing in brisk business and nobody is in a mood to give up the fun of purchasing, decorating, eating and enjoying to the hilt. It is this very emotional high that defines the Christmas celebration.

And a happy one too.

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