amusingmuse’s blog

At a restaurant last night a slightly dispirited Santa distributed chocolates with half hearted attempt at Christmas bonhomie. Wonder if he would have related to his role better if there had been some carols playing in the background? Though decorated with glittering streamers and the usual Christmas paraphernalia, the spirit of Christmas was missing in the crowded eatery. The malls and their exhausted staff too are decked up in an attempt to woo business, hawkers run on the streets selling red tasseled caps shouting ‘Heppy Cismas!’ to the world in general hoping to make a sale.

Christmas is certainly in the air but all the glimmer and glitter doesn’t seem to bring cheer to weary souls. People look as stressed out, uninterested and lethargic as ever - their gait is stilted and they wear plastic smiles.

By far, the most heart warming Christmas sight I saw in Bangalore was a group of seven or eight hawkers, both men and women, sitting in a circle, late in the night, wearing their unsold red caps, laughing uproariously, chatting excitedly, drinking tea! For that moment in time, sharing a cold winter night, some happiness and cheer they were the spirit of Christmas personified!

So why am I not cheerful - why do I miss Christmas? Maybe, I miss the Holly berries that were an essential to Christmas celebrations in the hills, the real Christmas trees decorated with love and attention, the smell of mince pies and plum cake that wafted out of houses, the strain of carols in the air - yes, I do. But what I really miss is the people attending midnight mass, covered from head to toe, battling the chilly winds, singing lustily to the accompaniment of an old piano! I miss - the coffee and salty biscuits that followed the mass, the animated chatter and banter. I miss - the little stockings of goodies which found their way to our home sent by warm hearted people full of neighborly love.People, who did not discriminate between those who followed their faith and those who did not and shared their festival with delight. I miss - the togetherness celebrated by those happy people bound by cords of faith and the spirit of Yuletide.

In a city, where the commercial value of this season is exploited to the fullest without as much as a thought to the reason for celebrations, a lot seems to be missing!

These are the opening lines from the classic ‘Little Women’

“Christmas won’t be Christmas without any presents,” grumbled Jo, lying on the rug.
“It’s so dreadful to be poor!” sighed Meg, looking down at her old dress.
“I don’t think it’s fair for some girls to have plenty of pretty things, and other girls nothing at all,” added little Amy, with an injured sniff.
“We’ve got Father and Mother, and each other,” said Beth contentedly from her corner.

Call me romantic if you will but Beth makes sense - Christmas is a season to celebrate ‘having each other’

Merry Christmas!!!