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 "There
is love true love, and the heart
goes round, When the Lord to Bethany came....,
It's a happy happy day and the golden times
When the Lord to Bethany came....."
The above lines resonant every where and
everyone would be greeting each other by saying Merry Christmas,
Happy Christmas, i.e. 25th of December every year, ending the year
with grand celebration world wide. Every where you will find well
illuminatedroads, houses, shops, etc.
The word Christmas comes from the words 'Cristes
maesse' or "Christ's Mass". Christmas is thecelebration
of the birth of Jesus for members of the Christian religion. Most
historians peg the first celebration of Christmas to Rome in 336
A.D. According to the Christian gospels, Jesus was born to Mary
in Bethlehem, where she and her husband Joseph had traveled to register
in the Roman census. Christians believe that Jesus's birth, or nativity,
fulfills the prophecies of Judaism that a messiah would come, from
the house of David, to redeem the world from sin and bridge the
separation between God and mankind.
 The
celebration of Christmas is different in different parts of India
- a country of diversity. If in the North East it is celebrated
in one way, in the South West it is done in another way. Christians
decorate mango or banana trees at Christmas time. Sometimes they
also decorate their houses with mango leaves. In south India, small
clay oil-burning lamps are used as Christmas decorations; they are
placed on the edges of flat roofs and on the tops of walls just
as the Hindus do during their festival called Diwali. Churches are
decorated with poinsettias and lit with candles for the Christmas
Eve service. They give presents to family members and baksheesh
or charity to the poor people.
The celebration of Christmas is different in different parts of
India - a country of diversity. If in the North East it is celebrated
in one way, in the South West it is done in another way. Christians
decorate mango or banana trees at Christmas time. Sometimes they
also decorate their houses with mango leaves. In south India, small
clay oil-burning lamps are used as Christmas decorations; they are
placed on the edges of flat roofs and on the tops of walls just
as the Hindus do during their festival called Diwali. Churches are
decorated with poinsettias and lit with candles for the Christmas
Eve service. They give presents to family members and baksheesh
or charity to the poor people.
However, for the urban regions the ingredients
of the festivities are the familiar X-mas trees (mostly potted)
decorated with stars and tinsels, toys, plastic fruits, and colorful
streamers and illuminated well are placed in front of the Christian
houses, shops and restaurants. Santa is also seen in some streets
and some shops. And departmental stores deploy Santa to entertain
their kid-customers. In the major cities of India caroling processions
are also seen on streets and thorough fares.
.Though Hindus and Muslims comprise majority
of the population, Christmas is celebrated with much fanfare in
this secular country. The Day is a national holiday and people irrespective
of their religion enjoy it along with Christians.
And now my heart starts singing -
"Christmas
is here again,Bringing
all the cheers again,
Ending the current year again and Welcoming the New Year again".
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