By Pooja Chakrabarty

A nip in the air greets us as the Christmas season approaches. Scores of people hurry to the stores to do their last-minute Christmas shopping. As with every year, there is much to be done. New clothes have to be bought. Gifts have to be wrapped. The Christmas cake has to be ordered. The tree still has to be decorated. Anybody who celebrates Christmas knows that this is a festival that makes everyone want to “deck the halls with boughs of holly.” Celebrations become the order of the day, and Christmas parties are everywhere.

Yet, amidst all the celebration, it is easy to forget that Christmas is essentially a religious festival. It is the day when Christians around the world come together to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, whom they believe to be the son of God. Thus, many Christian homes try to replicate the birth of Christ in the manger among the farm animals. Most of these depictions include the shepherds who came to pay their respects to the new born and the three wise men that brought gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh for the young Christ.

However, despite its beginnings as a religious festival, Christmas has managed to capture popular fancy. One no longer needs to be Christian to jump into the seasonal festivities. Christmas trees are seen holding pride of place in the homes of many non-Christians. The festival has certainly moved on from being a religious affair to being a cultural one.

Santa Claus is one icon who transcends religious boundaries. Children of varying faiths flock to the malls to sit on dear old Santa’s lap and tell him his/her Christmas wish list. Fathers don the garb of Santa Claus at the many Christmas parties that pepper the season. Father Christmas, as he is also called, is a big hit throughout the Christmas season. After all, no child can avoid liking this pot-bellied, white-haired vision in red who brings hoards of gifts and greets everyone with “Ho ho ho”.

Just as Santa Claus has captured the hearts of people all over the world, so too, has the Christmas tree. For a long time, people had been using real firs as their Christmas trees. However, the times are changing and we have all become more environmentally aware. As a result, we are seeing a noticeable shift towards artificial trees.

Of course, Christmas would not be Christmas without carols. Christmas carols like “The First Noel” and “Joy to the World” have become an integral part of the Christmas celebrations. Children, on their part, cannot get enough of songs like “Frosty the Snowman” and “Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer”. Even as families come together to decorate their homes, these carols help them find that Christmas cheer.

Christmas is a time for merry-making. It is also a time for spreading love and kindness, no matter what one’s religion might be. Irrespective of whether one is young or old, it is impossible to avoid being bitten by the Christmas bug.

By Mandappa

Aah! The glorious smell of freshly baked cookies. It presented a sniff of Christmas and a whiff of nostalgia. I’m sitting here on my dining table, looking over the first batch of cookies. I’d rate success at about 80%. It’s a little burnt. But good enough for a second try.  

I have had enough of picking up cookies of fly ridden shelves in dinghy bakeries. Of cookies packed so long ago, that it doesn’t even contain the essence of Christmas. And the very packaging, a flimsy polythene, polyester or poly whatever sure takes the very joy out of Christmas cookies.            

So I decided I’d make an attempt if nothing else to revive Mummy’s tradition. It usually started around the 10^th of December. Every day from then until Christmas eve, Mum baked as the cousins pottered around the entire holidays. Almond cookies, chocolate cookies, Wheat, Oat and Bran cookies. Cookies with nuts, cookies with butter, cookies with chocolate chips and with every kind of possible topping. Cookies, cookies and more cookies. The smell of the continuous baking was the best part of my growing up years. As well as the best part of Christmas.  

My cousins would come over. My family still lived in the ancestral house. My cousins would totter in with their folks. One by one as the holiday season began differently in different parts of the country. 35 was the number of cousins. Though usually only about 30 made it. Considering the times now, that was a huge number. In my last visit, there were 5.           

None the less, back then, they were a bunch of us. A big bunch of us to be precise. We woke up, ate, played, ran, shouted, screamed, showered, punched, fought, played some more, danced, sang so on and so forth. Basically we painted town red. All the while Mum and her sisters baked. Every time we took a break from our hooliganism and stepped into the house, we were greeted with the warm whiff of baking cookies.   

Times change. One by one we grew up and got busy with our own little worlds. The number of cousins kept dropping. Every one had big exams, a big promotion, a big wedding or so called better things to do.  

I’ve missed it but I haven’t said much. I’ve been guilty of the same offences so there wasn’t much I could do.  

The past few years, I’ve shamelessly treated my kids to plastic box cookies from plastic filled supermarkets. I’ve bought them in big plastic bags from plastic-faced bakers. My kids are happy. They never knew better.   

The ancestral house is gone. So is Mum and most of her sisters.  

For a change and for what it’s worth I decided to bake cookies this year. Busy schedules not with standing, I shopped for ingredients. Brought home the recipe and started a fresh this morning. Not knowing where it would go from there.  

Until my 8 year old son came running in from the garden, hugged me and asked, “Mummy, what’s that smell?” I smiled with tears in my eyes and said, “That’s the smell of Christmas, darling.”

By Rahul Sirsikar

The December cold winds and snow bring out a sense of joy and excitement along with them .A jolly environment is enough to let us know that Christmas is around the corner. The town is soon painted into red and white making it a fairytale world where children would be caught catching snow flakes on the tip of their tongues while some are seen making snow angels on the ground. The sky which usually uses to be bright with sun showering down his rays is now covered behind white clouds, telling people, it is time to come out of the house and spent some time with the family which we have so missed due to our busy schedules for the past eleven months. And the people couldn’t argue more.

Though Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Christ, as the name appropriately tells when abbreviated Christ’s-masses, where people flock together and visit the church .But, a very few know that sometime back Christmas was not a secular holiday.

The Christmas celebration was created by the early Church to entice pagans to convert into Christianity without losing their own winter holidays. But it was during the great depression that then President Franklin D Roosevelt due to Christmas’s dual status of religious and secular holiday enforced the Secular Christmas holiday. This helped not only the depression but also gave people and the economy a great boost. This is where Commercial Christmas began. With holidays, excitement and religion, money was to be made and that’s where the businessman makes their profits.

With every Christmas that arrives, comes a new wave of excitement. It’s the time when the people shop for Christmas trees, children suck on umbrella candies or are seen making snow-man and lovers could be seen in warm coffee bar’s sharing their feelings with each other. The city, which is so busy during other months suddenly, comes to a standstill with colorful lights decorating each corner and the Christmas corals enlighten the city from within and giving the city a serene atmosphere of peace and bliss.

The best part of Christmas comes prior to the day of the birth of Jesus, when Christmas trees at home are decorated with lights and shiny balls with the replica of the star that looked over Jesus, standing at the top of the Christmas tree.

Children who had thought all year and prepared their list of things to be gifted by their favorite saint, St. Nicholas popularly referred to as Santa Clause, insert this list into long red socks which hang over the fireplace at home, little knowing that its their fathers who come dressed up as Santa and place their gifts beneath the Christmas tress.

The happiness on the children’s faces the next day on receiving their gifts is priceless. Gifts are been sent out to relatives and friends giving a feeling of togetherness. The whole thing is fun and keeps up with the spirit of Christmas. On the day of the birth of Jesus people visit churches to offer their prayers while some have a field day with their families.

In the end we could conclude that Christmas brings a welcome relief to everybody. Christmas, a festival of hope, belief and bliss is truly one of the best festivals celebrated today.

The Christmas season becomes an interesting time of the year for entertainment viewing pleasure. The reason for this is that there are a number of perennial television and film favorites that are so well made that they attract new audiences year after year. Granted, some really great animated Christmas specials have seemingly been lost to history and are not often repeated (The Flintstone’s Christmas Special was a classic that has yet to be given a DVD release and its appearances on TV are non-existent)

However, there are a number of classics such as The Grinch Who Stole Christmas, Nester, The Long Eared Donkey and A Christmas Carol (The 1951 Alastair Sim version…the other versions are fine, but Sim’s version is a masterpiece) are among the top productions that seem to get better with age. If there was one Christmas film that was the best of them all, it would have to be Frank Capra’s masterpiece, It’s a Wonderful Life.

A Failed Start and a Huge Rebirth

This may come as a shock to many of the film’s biggest fans, but the film was originally released in JULY! You see, the film was NOT originally conceived as a Christmas film. The ending just happened to have a yuletide theme, but the remainder of the film centers on an undefined time of the year. (Actually, it spans several months of the year) When the film first came out, it was dumped into theaters and without much fanfare. Critics trashed the film basically calling it a depressing venture that ended in a hugely sappy manner. Because of this, the film was a box office failure and a seeming low point in Frank Capra’s directorial career. Then, a funny thing happened many decades later.

Noting that the end of the film took place during the Christmas holiday, television syndication services repackaged the film as a yuletide special. With this new holiday themed advertising campaign, the film finally started to reach an audience. In fact, the audience for the film became so huge that it has taken its place as the number one most popular Yuletide film in cinema history.

Reasons for Success

Part of the reason for the film’s success is the fact that the notion that no small good deed is not without a larger effect resonated with audiences. This is a brilliant morality lesson that is timeless and this timelessness has allowed It’s A Wonderful Life to find new fans every year. In fact, it will probably continue to do so for many more years to come. This is a success and adulation the film truly deserves as it is an all time classic.

Christmas shopping can be a lot of fun. Spending some time searching for the perfect gift for everyone on your gift list can be a great deal of fun. It is also rewarding when you find and purchase a gift you just know your loved one will treasure. However, there is one aspect of Christmas shopping which seems to be difficult for everyone. It seems when it comes to buying clothing while Christmas shopping, everyone seems to have at least a slight hesitation. There are just so many variables when it comes to clothes shopping that it can be difficult to shop for clothing for those on your gift list. Some of the variables which make Christmas shopping for clothing so difficult include size, color, style and material. This article will take a look at why Christmas shopping for clothing is so difficult and will attempt to offer some insight into how to purchase clothing for others.

The matter of size is one thing that makes Christmas shopping for clothing so difficult. You may have a good idea about what size your friend or family members is but it can be difficult to select the correct size particularly for items such as pants, skirts, dresses or blazers. Items such as sweatshirts in which the fit does not have to be perfectly tailored are easier to shop for but even with these items you still run the risk of selecting a shirt which is too small. A sweatshirt which is too big is considered acceptable as many people where these shirts large as a style but shirts which are too small can be rather uncomfortable and will not likely be worn by the recipient. When Christmas shopping for clothing it is wise to either select casual items or ask the recipient to try on the clothing. This ruins the element of surprise but will help you to select the correct size. You may wish to discuss your intentions to purchase clothing for your friend or family member and ask them if they would prefer to receive a surprise or to participate in the selection process by trying on items before they are purchased.

Selecting colors is another difficult aspect of Christmas shopping for clothing. In general if you know your friend or family members wears a particular color often, it is safe to assume they like this color and enjoy wearing this color. However, even this safe strategy can backfire on you at times. You may decide to purchase an article of clothing in this particular color because you see your friend or family members wearing the color often but you may soon find out they are tired of wearing that particular color and were hoping to receive clothing in other colors to expand their wardrobe. Again you can alleviate this problem by talking to your friend or relative and asking them what colors they would like to wear. This lets them know you are planning to purchase clothing for them for Christmas but does not give away the type of clothing or the style of the clothing.

Perhaps one of the most difficult dilemmas associated with Christmas shopping for clothing is selecting a style which will be appealing to the recipient of the Christmas gift and will look good on the recipient as well. If you are purchasing a gift of clothing for a really close friend or family member you may have a good idea about the style of clothing she likes because you see the clothing she wears on a regular basis but it still can be difficult to pick out items which you know she will like and will be flattering on her in terms of style. Again one of the best ways to deal with this situation is to ask the friend or relative to come shopping with you.

By Christina Fransz 

There is something about a certain time of the year that has an out of this world feel to it. A season that makes you feel so warm, a season that brings warmth to our hearts. A festival that makes you feel closer to God. It is a celebration of all the heavenly powers. It is Christmas! 

Christmas is not just a holiday to mark the birth of Jesus. The zeal, joy, happiness and the entire euphoria with which the month of December is associated, keeps the entire globe abuzz. It is rather not hard to accentuate that one single holiday (or rather a global bonhomie!!) is enough to aggrandize our lives and we feel elevated. No caste, no creed, no religion and certainly no fake beliefs, come Christmas, everything disappears. 

We generally associate the month of December with bone-chilling winds and falling flakes of snow, enough to send the shivers down our spines. When it is too cold nobody likes to go out of their homes to go down the stores and buy any stuff. However, Christmas time, no matter how cold it is, no matter if it’s snowing hard and it’s really cold, people are just ready and eager. Neither the cold weather nor the snow can stop the kids from looking at the sky with gleeful eyes, looking for their favorite Santa Claus… Ready to visit Earth with a bag full of gifts. And, of course, how can the lousy, gloomy and cold weather stop the grown ups from decorating their homes, and glutton for some fresh baked turkey. 

Christmas is also about gastronomic delights where you can satisfy your sweet tooth with all the lovely delicacies like plum cakes, puddings, cookies and what not. Apart from all these deliciously appetizing and euphoria of Christmas, it is undoubtedly a time when you can catch up with your family and loved ones. And even reach out to your far-off relatives. You can get together and have the most memorable time of the whole year in just one holiday. Also you get to know many new people, be them neighbors or people at the church. It is a festival that brings people together.  

Carol singing lights up the whole of the street with the singers visiting homes and spreading the spirit of Christmas. However, Christmas can never be complete without the midnight mass, which is held on Christmas Eve at the nearest church. The Christmas carols and the mass bring a calming and relieved effect on us. It is absolutely soothing, healing and divine. The children love it for the visit of Santa Claus with candies and gifts.

Christmas night gets over with children getting their gifts and relatives departing towards their respective homes after a wonderful lunch and dinner at the host’s home. Christmas ends for that year but its spirit lives on till the next year where another memory is created in people’s heart to live on till the next and so it goes on. This is Christmas, it keeps Jesus alive in our hearts and makes us love and appreciate our families and one another even more.

By Pradeep Kumar

The story of Christmas or the mass of Christ dates back to the birth of baby Jesus Christ in Bethlehem. It is undeniably one of the most popular winter celebrations in the world. The first visible clues of the impending celebration of Christmas start dropping in by October when frenzied shopping and decorations welcome the onset of winter.

 Come December and the celebration is very much in the air; shimmering lights bathing the streets, Christmas trees decorated with colorful add-ons and twinkling Xmas stars, the aroma of freshly baked ginger cakes and cookies wafting through the innumerable chimneys and a deluge of friends and relatives who make a goodwill visit to their brethren- everything speaks for Christmas.  Markets hum with avid Xmas shoppers shop till they drop rummaging through the countless stores that offer the  latest clothes, tree decorations, cakes, wine and fire crackers,

The season’s spirit reaches its crescendo as the D day draws in, when the streets will be crowded with people on their way to attend the midnight mass or to hobnob at the various shopping malls to get a feel of the pulse of the festivities. The best part of Christmas is that it falls in the winter season when the nature is in its best with the specks of snow to add charm and notches up the partying mood to feverish pitch. If a white Christmas is on the cards you can take some time off the day to enjoy sledding, make a huge snow Santa or indulge in a snowball fight. Whichever course you wish to take, do not forget to gloss it off by serving piping hot chocolate.

The mere mention of Christmas is enough to summon the image of the famous icon of Santa Claus in snow white beard and red attire, Christmas carols and creamy rich cakes! However in the break neck speed of today’s high technology world, Christmas traditions are gradually being lost. But don’t you think that the traditional Christmas with all the merriment and grandeur of the old days was the perfect time to slow things down and to plunge into the party mood? It’s a time for a family get together or a well deserved vacation for many.

Usher in the Christmas spirit by going all out in decorating the Christmas tree. The traditional crib of the Jesus with the wax or glass models of the three kings and the other characters forming an inevitable part of the decorations. Not forgetting the Christmas music and lip smacking eggnog that would ensure everyone the right spirit. No Christmas is complete without a grand feast. Turkeys, a variety of meat preparations, soups, cookies, pies, and hot cider are all staples for a heady Christmas celebration.

Then there is always the Santa Claus to hand over the Xmas presents for everyone in the family. The Christmas evening offers the best possible options; you can either choose a quiet evening by the fireplace or set out on a holiday to some remote island. Remember, the bottom line of all festivities is to ensure fun, frolic and merriment.

By Sarin Mathew

The mist rising over the mountain range was beautiful to look at , my eyes felt the contentment of beholding such beauty. Slight warmth spread through my body as I sipped on the hot chocolate in my hands. It was the evening before “Christmas” and I had to attend the midnight mass of Christmas Eve. The scenario would have been perfect except I didn’t really think so.

I mean, seriously, Christmas isn’t really Christmas until there’s a beautiful white blanket of snow covering everything in sight…maybe at least this day the world’s sins can be covered under it. Christmas isn’t really Christmas until you’ve got bare naked trees which are covered with dazzling lights so as to make up for the robe of leaves it must have shed. Essentially I believe that Christmas is Christmas in foreign lands where you have ‘Santa’s’ at every street corner jingling their bells, hassled shoppers walking around with bags filled with goodies and gifts for their loved ones waiting up for them back home and what can Christmas actually be without green “Christmas pine trees” decorated like a new bride on her wedding night.

Man! I hate this. No lights, no Christmas trees, no white snow…and trying-to-perfect eggnog my mom whipped up for me. Christmas in India wasn’t exactly Christmas…no matter how beautiful the mist over the mountains looked! With these thoughts in my mind and my mood begining to become anti-christmas’y’, I put on my jacket and went out for a stroll.

As I walked about aimlessly, conversing with God, actually accusing him of making a mistake by making me Indian with an Indian Christmas I saw a chapel ahead of me decorated with lights. But what hit me was the number of candles gracing the chapel which were little hopes and little wishes made by us humans who in spite of reaching the moon still need an unseen force to ensure us that “all will be fine”. I walked ahead and saw a crowd of street urchins outside a temple waiting their turns to receive warm clothes for the harsh winter ahead. The donor looked happy and content standing in a corner just observing them and me observing the joy on his face.

Ok, now I was already feeling a little pro – christmas’y’ . But still there was no snow flake falling on my nose tip, no fogged up breath. I finally decided to return home and leave for mid night mass. As I was approaching my building a group of little kids with loud shrieky voices and un-tuned musical instruments decided to try out their season’s first Christmas carols on me. They sang in shrill voices ’Silent night….’, breaking into giggles in between. Finally after the wonderful orchestra, my mom gave them cookies and cakes to fill up with. As these little ones, still shrieking maybe even more now, left my house to move on to the next house to fill up with their out of tune carols and laughter, I realized that Christmas is actually about spending time with your family, helping others and being grateful for all that’s given to us. So even without the snow and the works…Christmas isn’t ‘still’ Christmas without the essence of Christmas i.e. to share, give & love. And suddenly the mist over the mountains on Christmas eve didn’t look too bad!!!

By Vandana Rajesh

Christmas is all about ringing in the festive season, friendship, love and great times. Celebrated as the birthday of Lord Jesus Christ, Christmas is associated with spreading peace, happiness and love. Nature too joins in this great celebration. It is like nature has adorned the role of a fairy Godmother all dressed in white offering you a wonderful time.

Christmas for many is the connecting link with their childhood bringing back lovely nostalgic memories of their young days when they decorated their house along with parents, assisted mother with the grand meal. It has since ages been a time for family reunions. Christmas is a wonderful time for family reunions and having all those get togethers that you have been planning for long. Work hard to make it truly special for your family.

Start right from the beginning by decorating your house. Bring in all those evergreens, put up all those beautiful cards that you received from your near and dear ones and do up the home making it truly irresistible for Santa. You could use different types of decorations for making your home look very beautiful and be the focus of all attention. Do not forget the mistletoes. Bring out all the wonderful laced home linen that you have been storing for Christmas and turn your home into a beautiful space you and your family would enjoy.

It is a great time that kids look forward to. For the children Christmas is all about gifts and goodies and spending memorable moments with family. The children wait all year long for hanging up their stockings and hoping and praying that Santa decides to bring them lovely gifts.

Food is an important part of Christmas. It is time to make all those delicious dishes that you have been experimenting with for so long. A great time for entertaining, call over your friends and family and enjoy the Christmas spirit.  

The Christmas tree is an important decoration that is the pride of every home. Decorate your Christmas tree creatively. You could make use of your old decorations as well as try some new creative ideas. You could even hang up chocolates and other goodies wrapped in gold or silver foil making it attractive for the children. Make sure that you add that special personal touch while wrapping the gifts placed under the Christmas tree. 

Christmas would be just another festival but for the importance that you give it. Your efforts to make it a wonderful time for your loved ones is what the Christmas spirit is all about. It is time for sharing and caring. A time for making others feel special. It is a time for expressing your love and affection. The Christmas spirit is all about understanding others, their difficulties and helping them in the best possible manner. The holiday season offers you the time and ambience for making the most and enjoying with family and friends. Come together and spread happiness this Christmas making it an occasion that you and your loved ones would cherish all their life

If you are like many other individuals, you enjoy Christmas.  With Christmas comes gifts’, spending time with family, and Christmas decorations.  While everyone loves to get Christmas gifts and spend time with their family, there are others who are most excited about decorating for Christmas.  In a way, putting up Christmas decorations symbolizes the upcoming Christmas holiday.  Perhaps, that is one of the reasons why decorating for Christmas is enjoyed by so many.

When it comes to decorating for Christmas, different individuals use different methods.  Perhaps, the most popular method is buying Christmas decorations from the store and then hanging them or displaying them in the home.  In addition to buying store bought decorations, there are other individuals who make their own Christmas decorations and then hang or display them. If you are preparing to decorate your home for Christmas, you may be wondering which decorating method you should use. Honestly, the decision is yours to make; however, you will find that each method has a number of advantages and disadvantages. 

As previously mentioned, one of the most popular ways that most individuals choose to decorate their homes for Christmas is by purchasing store bought decorations. These store bought decorations can include items such as a Christmas tree, Christmas lights, Christmas tree ornaments, Christmas lawn decorations, and Christmas kitchenware.  Perhaps, the wide variety of different decorations that can be purchased online or from a storefront retail location is the greatest benefit to buying your decorations. While it is possible to make your own Christmas lights or Christmas kitchenware, it is time consuming and you need to have special skills to do so.

In addition to the selection of Christmas decorations that you have to choose form, when buying store bought Christmas decorations, you will also find that buying pre-made Christmas decorations saves time.  Shopping online is the best way to save time, when buying Christmas decorations, but you can also save time by buying your Christmas decorations from one of your local retail stores. As nice as it may be to make your own Christmas decorations, it is a time consuming task, especially if you have never made your own Christmas decorations before. 

So far, it may seem as if you can benefit the most from buying store bought Christmas decorations, but it is important to note that you can also benefit from making your own decorations.  Perhaps, the greatest advantage to making your own Christmas decorations is that you can make what you want.  Since you know every inch of your home, you likely know what will look good in one area and what will look good in another.  If you are looking for a particular Christmas decoration, such as a Christmas painting, and you are unable to find it, you may be able to make your own. While it will take some skill and time, it is almost always worth it to get exactly what you want.

Another advantage to making your own Christmas decorations is that, as previously mentioned, you can make whatever you want, however you want to.  When most of us think of homemade Christmas decorations, we tend to think of decorations that were created from scratch. The reality is that you can make your own decorations with existing Christmas decorations or traditional craft items, if you want to. For instance, you can easily make your own Christmas table centerpiece by using a glass bowl or large candleholder, artificial flowers, sand, or even Christmas lights.  Despite the fact that you did not make each piece of the decoration yourself, you altered it enough whereas it can be considered a homemade Christmas decoration.

The overall goal of decorating for Christmas is to bring the Christmas spirit into your home.  In all reality, that is the most important thing.  It really shouldn’t matter whether you choose to make your own Christmas decorations or buy them; the same goal will be accomplished.