Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Coimbatore
Delhi
Hyderabad
Kochi
Madurai
Mangalore
Puducherry
Tiruchirapalli
Thiruvananthapuram
Vijayawada
Visakhapatnam
Alluring festive ties
|
For Mangaloreans, Christmas is also homecoming. Every family, even those spread miles apart, makes it a point to come together for the occasion, says Florine Roche
|
Photo: K. Murali Kumar
BONHOMIE Along with colourful stars, trees and all the other cheerful paraphernalia, Christmas is also reunion time
Despite winds of change blowing across this coastal area it is gratifying to know Mangalore has to a great extent conserved its good old distinctive Christmas allure. Naturally, this good-old charm strikes a chord and attracts many sons and daughters
of this land working in different parts of the country or abroad, to their native place during Christmas. While most people try to go on a vacation during Christmas, this trend of homecoming by Mangaloreans is something unique setting them apart from the rest.
Come December and preparations for Christmas begin in right earnest especially in those homes which prepare those typical mouth-watering cookies called kuswar that come in various shapes, sizes and tastes. While these preparations are on here, Mangaloreans working elsewhere begin their preparations for homecoming. They come in time for Christmas so that they can have a wonderful time with family and friends.
Oliver Alfred Souza who works in Qatar is in Mangalore for Christmas after a gap of three years and naturally he is ecstatic. Though he visited Mangalore in between, he missed out on the Christmas season. “When I first saw the stars hanging from familiar shops on the streets, memories of earlier Christmases came flooding back. I remembered those days when as children we used to spend days preparing the crib and the Christmas tree. Though the situation has changed to a certain extent with people opting for artificial trees and cribs, the very memories of childhood Christmases are firmly etched in my mind,” he recalls.
Situations have no doubt changed in tune with the needs of the time. Blame it on nuclear families, the apartment culture or the trend of both parents working.
Preparing kuswar gets special consideration when near and dear ones come home for Christmas.
There as many as 20 items of kuswar that can be prepared at home and some households prepared at least a couple of them if not all. Preparing Christmas cookies is elaborate, time consuming and requires a lot of effort. Earlier, families were large and all members would come together to prepare them. Home-made kuswar has its own taste and lasts longer.
“Though I was not involved directly in making kuswar, I used to help,” Alfred says. With cultural and community belongingness, Christmas gives an opportunity for those who come home for Christmas to have a taste of mom’s cooking. For those who could not make it home for Christmas, families make efforts to send them the kuswar with relatives or friends.
Retired teacher Jacintha Alvares is brimming with joy ever since her daughter Vidya landed in Mangalore from Canada with children. Vidya’s husband will join them too. Jessy’s son and his family are also expected. “Christmas is an occasion for a family reunion.
Cooking, talking, eating and enjoying together as a family is like a festival bonanza and I always look forward to this moment,” he declares. Vidya, who is home for Christmas after a gap of four years, is equally thrilled at the thought of celebrating Christmas here.
“Despite our best efforts to assimilate into the culture of the adopted land, we do feel lost wherever we are. It is always nice to be in the place where your childhood memories are associated,” she confides.
Patterson Gonsalves who works in Mumbai as a senior HR Manager planned his Christmas holidays almost a year ago when he joined the firm.
“Christmas is the time to chill out with family and friends. I enjoy the traditionally cooked pork dish sarpotel and the very atmosphere of Christmas is invigorating. It is like a stress buster for me,” says Patterson.
It is not that only Christians come home during Christmas. Those working in different parts of the globe irrespective of religion, prefer holidays coinciding with Christmas and New Year so that they can meet their relatives and friends who usually come home for Christmas.
Over the years, Mangalore has transformed as a cosmopolitan city and exchanging sweets among different communities during Christmas has picked up. Thanks to this camaraderie, Kuswar is no more confined to Christians alone.
It is enjoyed by all irrespective of their religious faith. But what remains unchanged is the Christmas allure, which draws its people home year after year.
Printer friendly
page
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Coimbatore
Delhi
Hyderabad
Kochi
Madurai
Mangalore
Puducherry
Tiruchirapalli
Thiruvananthapuram
Vijayawada
Visakhapatnam
|
