Christmas

I¯ "I'm dreaming of a whiiiiite Christmaaaas..."¯

Even though the song is played regularly during Christmas, our Christmas is anything but white. In fact, if we had to associate Christmas with a colour, it would have to be green!!

But none of the tiny technical details like lack of snow or fir trees seem to detract from our enthusiasm in celebrating Christmas. For us, the spirit of Christmas is not only in the giving and receiving of gifts. It is a great opportunity for Christian families (and non-Christian families) to get together, leaving aside all their everyday duties and worries and thanking God for each other (...then again maybe not!)...well, anyway, it's a time to rejoice and celebrate the birth of Christ !

Christmas celebrations usually begin when schools close for the holidays. In spite of the underlying fear of uncertain exam grades, kids usually manage to enjoy their holidays. Christmas stars are usually hung outside the house at the beginning of the month. Once the exams are out of the way, we decorate our houses with colourful streamers and lights. And don't forget THE CHRISTMAS TREE! Until a few years ago, we used to decorate an evergreen tree but now, the artificial plastic trees are a big hit.

So, now that the decorations have been taken care of, it's fun time! Christmas hols are usually a time when you get to meet most of your long-lost cousins and family members. Needless to say, there's a huge racket and loads of fun and mischief as the young people get together. And we're guessing that the older people have fun too!

You see, we love to buy new clothes... and what better excuse than Christmas. Christmas shopping begins by the beginning of December when shops have many special offers to lure customers.

The celebrations reach a climax on Christmas eve, when families and friends get together for a sumptuous meal and merrymaking. Christmas mornings are usually spent at the church. It's the one time of the year when churches overflow with people. It seems that a lot of church members take after Santa Clause - they only show up at Christmas time. Oh yes! Santa Clause visits us here too.  Maybe not always on Christmas Day - he pays a visit to the schools sometime in the middle of December, before the exams. After church service, most families indulge themselves in a lavish feast - be it at home or at a restaurant.

The most common gift item for Christmas is plum cake and home-made grape wine (or fermented grape juice). It's quite common to see about 12 plum cakes of different shapes and sizes scattered around the house after Christmas. Going visiting around this time can be hazardous to your health...not to mention your taste buds!

So, there you go. Our very own Christmas special.

Merry Christmas to all....and to all a goodnight!

By Nut and Bolt J