'Tis the season!

Why Christmas continues to resonate across faiths, making the yuletide season one to cherish and remember

- Shilpi

It's that time of year when something charmingly familiar hangs in the air and says it all.

There is an unexplainable joy in seeing giant X'Mas trees lit up at public spaces across cities, music reverberating through the December chill, flavours and fragrances heightening the mood, and a sudden cheerfulness surrounding the festivities. Caps, costumes, trees and Christmas paraphernalia are sold and bought with equal enthusiasm. It is that magical time when one may not believe in theology, yet the feeling arrives unfailingly, year after year, leaving us wondering why Christmas still works for us.

Festival beyond faith

Sales and marketing professional-turned-actor Raymond Francisco describes Christmas as a cultural ritual rather than merely a religious one, and rightly so. Francisco, born in Delhi in the 1960s and raised in Kolkata, says, "Ask any non-Christian in Kolkata about their favourite festivals, and you'll hear the same answer again and again: Durga Puja and Boro Din (Christmas)."

For some magical reason, he says, Kolkata has made Christmas entirely its own. "In the City of Joy, Christmas isn't borrowed; it belongs. The city's artistic soul transforms Boro Din into a festival of music, poetry, song, and dance." Food, he adds, is the true religion. "Festive treats, generous spreads, and tipple add a distinct flavour. Bakeries like Flurys, Nahoum's, and Mocambo are visited with the same devotion as a Pujo bhog counter. Bowbazar, Park Street, and Allen Gardens resemble Pujo pandals, filled with lights, crowds, and excitement."