It’s Christmas eve, that time of the year
that brings joy, happiness, love and a feeling of goodwill among the people of
different faiths and a remembrance that we belong to one big family called
humanity. Christians all across the globe are getting ready for the Christmas
day. But in Goa, do we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ the way we used to
celebrate it in the years gone by? Obviously there has been a sea change in the
way we celebrate Christmas today. In the good old days, everything related with
Christmas celebrations was done in the homes. Christmas sweets were prepared by
all the women in the family. Even the neighbours belonging to other faiths
joined the Christian families in preparing Christmas sweets. The bonding with
the neighbours was there for all to see.
But now things have changed. People are too
busy to find the time for homemade sweets; they prefer to buy the sweets from
the market. Earlier, people used to share the sweets they prepared with their
neighbours. This custom is also dying a slow death.
In the past, the youngsters in the family
used to gather to make the family crib. Branches from the pine trees were
collected to be decorated into a Christmas tree. The Christmas star was made
from bamboo sticks and white paper. Now these things are available in the
market. The youth of today prefer to buy these Christmas tree and readymade
stars to decorate their homes. In the past, the youth of the neighbourhood would
go from house to house singing Christmas Carols. This tradition is also slowly
fading away. People now prefer to hear Christmas carols by playing CDs and from
YouTube.
In the good old days, we used to wish those
living far away and overseas by exchanging Christmas cards. All the Christmas
cards that we received were then hung on a string in front of the Christmas
crib. Now, in the age of the internet, the Christmas card has been replaced by
e-mails, Facebook, WhatsApp, etc. But then it must be said that none of this
mode of wishing can replace the good old Christmas card that comes with a
personal touch.
Christmas is a time for the family members
to come together at the dining table for the Christmas meal. Now many of the
youngsters prefer to celebrate Christmas with their friends. But the saddest
part is the commercialisation of the Christmas celebrations. In all this
entertainment, the actual meaning of Christmas is lost. Christmas season brings
joy to our hearts. We need to share this joy with others around in the best
possible way. A visit to the old-age home and orphanage needs to be included in
the Christmas celebrations.
