Christmas is here, that time of the year
that is somehow quite magical and sweet, with twinkling bells and hopes of a
new beginning with the New Year just round the corner. Christmas has always
been special to me. While I was a little kid of the age my daughter is now, I
was studying in a Christian school and obviously the celebrations for Christmas
were huge. We would be involved in so many activities around the festival that
it was one of the most beautiful times in the entire year for us all, and all us
kids would wait eagerly for the next Christmas to arrive.
At home, the celebrations were not that
huge. We never had a Christmas tree, but that’s okay, as unlike these days, not
most homes had one in those days, especially if they were not Christians. These
days, you can see a Christmas tree almost in every home – and it’s a great way
of welcoming more celebrations and rituals and festivities in your life. So for
our childhood, though we didn’t have the Christmas tree, we did have the
special Christmas cakes. While we were kids, my parents had modest means, and
finances were always short, through the year, every year. Not that any of it
affected me or my brother. Yes, there were various instances, but I feel, as
does my brother, that in a way, it’s good we saw less money and less privileges
and things as kids, as it has helped us remain grounded and understand and
appreciate things much more than many kids those days did.
