In today’s ‘Slice of Life,’ I feel I should not talk about anything other than Christmas, a time that turns into an emotion across ages, continents and communities. I’m sure that each one of us has experienced this magic in some way or the other, and this Sunday is, perhaps, the perfect time to relive those memorable moments.
“Christmas, children, is not a date. It is a state of mind.” Mary Ellen Chase
Rewinding Noel Nostalgia
My memories of Christmas, undisputedly, take me back to my childhood and school days. In spite of being a Bangali, the festival that was closest to my heart was Christmas. (Sorry if I caused any offence by admitting it but hardly can we engineer our instinctive choices.) Probably, it was my school and its affiliations with the Methodist Church that shaped my predilection for fun and festivities.
Having a consistent place in the school choir group over the years, Christmas arrived much before the holiday season. Every morning, once the school reopened after the Puja vacations, the choir girls had to be in the adjoining church (where our morning assemblies would be held) for practice. Even today, whenever or wherever I hear a Christmas song, the resounding notes of the organ that accompanied our carols and hymns waft into my ears. Yesterday itself, while savouring some hot chocolate in a coffee shop, I heard, “’Tis the season to be jolly/ Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la” and all I can say is that I was immediately teleported.
It goes without saying that all through my school years, I carried the Christmassy feel back home. Every weekend, I would pester my father to take me to Nahoum Bakery, an iconic Jewish bakery of Kolkata, where I would stand and stare at the baked delights. While I was not fond of their most popular fruitcake, I could never miss their orange rings, heart-shaped strawberry-jam-filled biscuits and decadent chocolate cakes. However, in my adolescent years, it was Nahoum’s rich plum cake that I craved for along with plenty of sumptuous savouries. Even in the fourth decade of my life, cakes and Christmas treats trick me to gorge on them as I take the rhetorical question below, maybe, a little too seriously!
“I ask you to answer me fairly: is not additional eating an ordinary Englishman’s (here Bengali woman’s) ordinary idea of Christmas day?” Anthony Trollope, Orley Farm
Sprinkle the Sparkle – slow and sweet
Another activity that I would look forward to in the late December days was a visit to the New Market. The Christmas Bazar, especially displayed for the Bada Din, would appear to my amazed eyes as pages out of Hans Christian Anderson’s books. Be it the mini-Christmas trees with fairy lights and fuzzy feel, the globe bauble spreading warmth and vibrancy, the strings of multi-coloured lights, the packs of Holly or the Santas in their myriad shapes and sizes, I wanted to have it all. And every time, I would return home a little richer only to add Christmas sparkle to our home and cheer in our hearts. Never did it slip my mind to leave a glass of milk and some cookies for my dearest Santa nor did I forget to hang a humongous sock for him to leave my presents in.
I do the same thing a little differently these days. I often visit my brother and his family during this season, an otherwise unseemly time to visit America. Yuletide there means a magnificent vision of red, golden and green accompanied by an aromatic burst of everything fudgy and delish. The Peter Pan self in me still strolls through the malls, soaking in all that the make-believe surroundings offer and the real-budget permits. My family even takes me for fascinating drive-through amusement parks, which are decked up differently during this time of the year. I am spellbound and speechless as I get to relive the wonder and exhilaration that the festive illumination and merry songs foster.
Books Banter and the Big Screen
I can hardly imagine a winter vacation without getting to read or rather re-read books that celebrate the spirit of Christmas. In fact, flipping through the pages of A Christmas Carol or getting lost in the fascinating accounts of life in the Pole in Letters from Father Christmas by J.R.R Tolkien has almost become a ritual. As is watching Home Alone, The Polar Express and even sweet romances like Love Actually and The Holiday. Honestly, the list is expanding exponentially with every passing year and most of the new movie additions on Christmas are coveted and waited to be watched.
“I realised that Christmas is the time to be with the people you love.” Billy Mack, Love Actually
So, Christmas is my time to catch up with friends too. No matter how seldom or squarely, I see my buddies throughout the year, a year-end meet up is mandatory. Afterall, it seems to be the time that calls for togetherness and what could be a better way to experience camaraderie than the coming closer of companions! While sauntering through Park Street (another popular Christmas haunt) was something I cherished the most with my college mates, going for a staycation is something I have indulged in in recent times. But every time, for each one of us, the duration felt inadequate to tread on the memories of the past year and mark the map of the upcoming one. And while I’m writing this down, the last page of the calendar in front of me is “basking in the orangery” of awaited encounters.
Whether it be the snug hug of the woollens, the toasty aroma of marshmallows, the yearning for a kiss under the mistletoe, the sheer joy of unpacking surprise packages or merely, the unhurried pace of mellow mornings, the closing days of the year have a special significance for each one of us.
To me, Christmas and December means all of this and much more. And these days, I have come to agree with Maya Angelou’s discerning observation as well when she says,
“I’ve learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he handles…tangled Christmas tree lights.”
By Promita Banerjee Nag
An avid word enthusiast and content-churner, Promita is fuelled by novel writings, ideas and light-hearted banter. A teacher by passion, she treads the path of unequivocal learning with and through her students. Mother, music and ‘mishti’ mostly convince her. If you wish for a tête-à-tête, feel free to reach out to her at promita033@gmail.com.
