Those Christmas stars still in my memory
Festivals are just for fun and enjoyment, irrespective of castes and religions. There lies the true spirit! Whenever I think about Christmas, my childhood days just flash through my memory. There is a CSI church near my home where songs were played early morning every day. In case I wake up from my sleep before day break, I used to lie in bed hearing those songs. Actually, same songs were repeated every day. Yet, I never felt bored hearing the same songs and truth is that, I loved them more and more. After years, whenever I hear those songs, I just remember those sleepless dawns of yesterdays. Now, while I am writing this article, many childhood memories flowing through my mind. It’s something nostalgic!
Morning bells
I think the Morning Prayer starts at 6 am. We often hear church bells and I have seen my neighbours going to church in the mornings, particularly Sundays. Except two or three Hindu homes, all neighbours around us were Christians going to that church. So, whenever a celebration is there, it’s a part of we people too! Christmas season is really a wonderful occassion. Also, annual celebrations of the church is conducted on December every year, just before the Christmas.
December in the embrace of mist
Now, those days have gone! Global warming! What else to say? December and January mornings and late nights were so cold during my childhood. If it’s early morning around 6.15 am, we can’t see anything except mist in our courtyard. Just shadows, if someone stand there. Our cooking oil in the kitchen will be in the frozen state till 7.30 or 8 am and my mother had to melt it for her cooking purpose. Also, we won’t get out of bed till 7 am, inside the blanket shivering in the dawn! It has past more than 15 years now and along with this long period, that lovely mist has also disappeared. Now, just a feeling of chillness, nothing else!
Actually, Christmas is something we remember most for its chillness and lovely stars everywhere. Mist makes us remember that Christmas days are here. Now those memories have also started fading like that mist gone. Instead of coldness, we are sweating in Christmas nights. Yes, seasons are changing!
The state of India which celebrates Christmas most
If we check the statistics of believers of different states, I am almost sure, Kerala is the only state which has all the major religions in almost equal proportion. According to latest statistics, 48.94% are Hindus, 26.04% are Muslims and 24.99% are Christians. i.e. One-fourth of every Malayali groups are Christians, perhaps the major percentage comparing to any other state. So, all the major Christian festivals are celebrated grand here. Also, it’s believed that Christianity was brought to India by Thomas, the Apostle in 52 AD, in Kodungallur, Kerala. That may be the reason why this religion is most popular here. Let me tell you a few interesting facts. First mosque in India was also built in Kodungallur and most surprisingly, Jews first came to India for the first time to this small town which exists in Ernakulam- Thrissur border. So, not only Kerala, this small town has provided Gateway to three most important religions of the world. Christmas is celebrated not only by Christians, but also by Hindus and Muslims. When all Keralites celebrate Onam with vegetarian Onasadya, they celebrate Christmas and Easter with chicken or mutton. That’s the only difference. Also, similar to 10 days Onam holidays, kids enjoy 10 days Christmas vacation too. That’s the importance given by the state and its people to the most celebrated festival of the world.
Those Christmas carols
Let me come back to my childhood days. Christmas carols are organized by every church in the month of December. A troupe of singers along with Santa Claus and main priest used to go to every home irrespective of religion. That may be the reason why I was lucky to watch many Christmas carols in my courtyard at my childhood days. It’s really a great feeling to watch group of about ten or fifteen people carrying Petromax lamps of yellow light and balloons in their hand walking through streets in the mist of darkness when Christmas season begins. They carry drums and trumpets too.
When they reach one home, Main priest say a few words about Christ. He is telling that Jesus is born and later, a group of singers start singing Christian songs. Those songs are related to Jesus Christ’s birth and in Malayalam he is known as ‘Yesu’ or ‘Yesudevan’. Mary is known as Mariam and singers praise both of them and express their happiness to see ‘Unni Misiha’, child Jesus. Santha Claus is dressed in red wears a red-white cap with balloons at its tip. He dances to tunes of singers and instrumental bands. They sing two or three songs in every home and as time pass by, they increase the pace of singing and along with it, kids and men of homes may start dancing with fast tunes. They may use crackers too to celebrate the occasion. After accepting a small amount of money, gifts or sweets they move forward. Santa Claus gifts kids with sweets and smiles. After all, his mission is to give Christmas gifts to kids and make them happy.
In my childhood, we kids had a group. So, when Carol moves to next home, we used to follow them. Those memories are fresh in my mind till now. We may be enjoying our holidays or having Christmas term exams at that time. Yes, it’s just a season of enjoyment.
Those Christmas stars
Irrespective of religion, all homes nearby hang Christmas stars outside. We too! At evening, we used to light the stars. After all, kids love such things a lot. Christians used to decorate it well, but we just make it simple. It was our hobby during Christmas days to watch Christmas stars of every home, as we do on Onam season, seeing pookkalams. When I was a kid, only a few types of stars were available. But now, when I pass through Christian areas, particularly coastal belt of Ernakulam – Cherai, feel surprised seeing the new and beautiful versions of Christmas stars. Christians see stars as a miraculous sign to mark the birth of the Christ. It’s believed that Star of Bethlehem guided travelers to Bethlehem to see baby Christ. In its memory, people are lighting stars till now during Christmas season. i.e. from December 1st to January 1st. Last time, we hang a Christmas star in front of our new home for our child.
A lovely night at LMS Hostel
Of all Christmas nights I had in my life, my hostel life of a few months in a Christian hostel also need acknowledgement. More than the evening prayer at Chappal, the thing I loved is Christmas celebrations at the hostel. We were asked to buy some gift and write our names on it. Then, during the celebration we had to place it on a table. Each gift was given a number and same number was noted in a small piece of paper. All those bits of paper were used for a lucky draw. We had to choose a number from the box and the gift matching the number was her Christmas gift. Surprisingly, one of the girls got her own box back. Later we had a stage program and a grand feast. A girl who was dressed as Santa Claus was the centre of attraction who entertained us a lot with her dance and artificial stomach.
Once we made a Christmas tree
Christmas is not a celebration of Christians only. Once we made a Christmas tree for Christmas in our courtyard. It’s just a sort of fun for we, four or five kids. We cut a branch of a tree and decorated it with coloured papers, balloons, small stars and many other glittering decorative items. We made the best what we can do. During Christmas, Christians make clay toys of Jesus, his parents, angels, shepherds, sheep, Santa Claus etc. They make a small hay shed with a small bed for baby Jesus. We call it ‘Pulkudil’ in Malayalam meaning ‘Grass hut’. People often use bamboo leaves also. Decorative ‘pulkudils’ is really pleasant scenery and they normally place it in the veranda. Decorative lights and stars give them a magical touch!
Greeting cards that we exchanged
Christmas and New Year is a special season of exchange of greeting cards and it was my hobby to select the best for my friends. I know it well, what am selecting is not for me, but for someone else. Yet, the satisfaction and happiness it gives, to give the best to someone with love is really exciting! For Christian friends, I usually select Christmas cards and it was my hobby to send them via postal, just to surprise them.
What I know from my Christian friend
I have one Christian friend from whom I have learnt about their celebrations. There is a special game conducted in every Christian home during the festival season. In the first week of December, members write their name in a small paper and used for a draw. The name got by a particular person is known as ‘Unni Yesu’. It should be kept secret by every member of the home, who his Unni Yesu is. Then, each person has to buy a special gift for his/her Unniyesu. So, my friend says, “I always pray that I become Unni yesu of either my father or mother so that I can get good Christmas gifts”. It’s really a nice game. Whenever I go to her home, my favourite hobby is to select a bible quote from a deck of Bible quotes. It’s believed that if your mind is disturbed, the bible quote selected by you gives you the solution.
They have a special prayer at Christmas night and when it’s midnight, they will be present at their church with joy and prayers. It’s the most important day of a Christian’s life and they enjoy the midnight with crackers and dances of Santa Cruz. Next one is Easter celebrations of summer.
Let me conclude
Christmas is not just a celebration of a particular community, but a season of enjoyment and fun. Christ came to this world to give a message of love and I am sure a ‘Unni Misiha’ is living inside the hearts of every soul on this earth! That's the reason why even after years, those chilling moments of Christmas are still alive in my heart. Really nostalgic!
Happy Christmas everyone.
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