An array of festivals marked by an ambience of fun, laughter and cheer is followed by the New Year which brings in hope, resolutions and the drive to make the year fruitful. But the lull that follows all celebrations also offers a period to ponder the evolution of festivals ,the celebrations, preparations and innovation in observing it. It somehow provides a window to visualise the spirit of celebration Now and Then..! While sharing nostalgic memeories with a childhood friend,Kashili, we discovered how much we had wandered away from the traditional practices to the modern ones. In agreement to our discussion , Kashili ,sent me her thoughts beautifully explaining what Christmas celebration meant to her during childhood and how present trends in celebrating Christmas had faded the original spirit of the day. I was awestruck to read her thoughts and I sincerely appreciate her for spinning the yarn of words so beautifully that it makes perfect sense .She writes-
"My first memory of Christmas reminds me of the visit to the church along with my parents and siblings.Those days we had to carry our own cups ,plates, water in a bag, which wasn't stylish at all but was never a source of embarrassment. Basic food was served and fancy foods were never in the agenda.I remember decorating a tree ,not exactly a pine tree, but the happiness was multi folds.
To put up a star on the bamboo was mandatory for every house which was quite a task because the ready made ones wilted away soon in the dew.Slowly people became innovative and creative adopting red cloth or plastic to replace the delicate cellophane sheet.Children are the happiest every where and anywhere and the festive air is felt and sensed so deeply much before the Christmas day.Lights ,decorations, Carols,new clothes, home made cakes etc made it more exciting. Growing up as a teenager , the scenario changed completely and the celebrations observed a shift from family centered to friends centered and the desire to do something for the community used to drive us. Once me and my cousins, friends and two younger sisters cooked food and went galavanting in the colony to feed the less privileged ones. Oh what a pleasure it was! A sense of accomplishment and task well done ! Christmas meant spreading happiness in which ever way!However, when I got married the celebrations were Church and family centric. It was celebrating togetherness and thanksgiving in the church. But where did this all got lost ? Before I could say Jack Robinson, commercialism took over the sheen of Christmas.Going out for shopping in the town for christmas is a dread. Dimapur the favourite commercial hub of Nagaland is flocked by people from far and wide to pick up stuff for decorations and gifts.Traffic jams hit the roads and create havoc in normal lives. Exchange of christmas gifts and the category and variety takes on to a different level each year.It does not stop with creamy cakes or rum cakes or pork chops or steaks.Dry fruits, Nuts,green tea,fancy choclates, imported show pieces, sugar free cookies have raided the markets.Its a pity that the importance of gifts and the money spent on buying is not relished by anyone as each one has plenty in each ones house.Christmas has become a gift exchanging season more than anything else. The chaotic roads and the rising pollution levels cause unpleasant air all aound.The' Haves' have more and enough , the 'Havenots' wait for somebody's mercy or charity.Gifts or no gifts,new clothes or no clothes ,haves or have nots, everybody loves christmas-sitting around the fire , caroling, eating , drinking and dancing. Is this christmas? A jovial fat man dressed as a Santa, distributing sweets and poking fun can never be the reason of celebrating christmas.
Christmas is Christmas-A celebration for Christ and with Christ which is easy to achieve in todays world when resources and means are unlimited. Lets trace back our path and find the true spirit and true fervour instead of following the crowd. Lets leave a legacy which will be cherished and taken forward in the true spirit."
We all have such memories and Kashili has given us a reason to sit back and ponder, Are we handing over the legacy which we received from our parents and grand parents with its originality being in place and intact? Be traditional, your kids will appreciate it.Think about it!
