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!!!