Christmas carols being played in the mall fill our ears with melody, attractive Christmas caps being sold at a traffic signal attract our attention, Christmas confectionery neatly displayed in the shops is hard to resist and the sight of Christmas tree being nicely decorated in the reception area of our workplace uplifts our mood. Santa Claus is roping us in the merry mood of Christmas. We can blame it on globalization, or on commercialization; but we cannot deny the fact that, irrespective of our religions, we all have gradually started appreciating and to some extent... knowingly or unknowingly... celebrating some interesting traditions of Christmas! And decorating a Christmas tree is one of those fondly adopted customs.
Some have it in their homes, some in their workplaces and some have it in the premises of their housing societies. However big or however small it may be, once neatly decorated; a Christmas tree adds charm to the place. If we come to think of it, it is the nature that we all respect in our own various ways - be it in the form of a 'toran' for Diwali or a 'pookalam' (floral 'rangoli') for Onam or the Christmas tree. In fact, the belief that 'evergreen trees like pine, fir and oak are symbols of divine strength for their ability to survive the harshest winters' is the key behind the tradition of Christmas tree. Historical references consider German revolutionist Martin Luther King as the man behind the tradition and Queen Victoria and her husband Prince Albert as those who popularised the tradition.
There always has been a debate over the use of an artificial tree as against the natural tree with pros and cons to each type of Christmas tree. If one wishes to get a real Christmas tree here in Mumbai, Araucaria is the variety available in our nurseries. One can also decorate any other already potted home garden plant if simply enjoying the Christmas mood is the motto. Traditionally, the Christmas tree was decorated with edibles like apples, nuts and dates. Today, a variety of ornaments are available that can be used to decorate the tree. And if one is a follower of 'reuse, reduce, recycle' policy; things like shirt buttons, newspapers and even ice-cream sticks can be nicely converted into Christmas tree ornaments.
One of the essential ornaments of Christmas has always raised our curiosity as it is as weird a thing as a stocking. In spite of the fact that the stocking used for Christmas is specially made for the purpose, one still cannot stop wondering its significance. Well, there's an interesting fable behind it. St. Nicholas - the man behind Santa Claus - is believed to be an orphan of rich parents who later turned into a generous and kind bishop. He once, in the pursuit of helping a poor family, threw three bags of gold in a house through its window. One of the bags landed in a stocking hung to dry by a fireplace. The custom of filling up the stocking with gifts for the 'well-behaved' kids is a way of taking forward the saint's philosophy of 'giving and sharing'.
Many such interesting customs with equally interesting fables or beliefs behind them make Christmas an interesting festival. Not all of us may enjoy it in its full form. But we surely can get in the merry mood of Christmas and wish that Santa fills our stockings with joy, love, success, health and wealth. Let our spirits be as evergreen as the Christmas tree. And let our platters always be filled with delicacies of various kind.
Merry Christmas
- Kalindi Amol Joshi
With
Amol Vishwas Joshi, Interior Designer, AAkruti Interiors
@ 9967534621
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