“Silver bells, silver bells, it’s Christmas time in the city!”
And of course at home! To begin with Grandmum is in town to that automatically bumps up excitement levels and then there’s so much cake and so many presents and just...everyone is smiling! It’s the perfect time of year.
India isn’t massively big on Christmas as a religious occasion, but as always, we know how to appreciate and we just need an excuse to have huge celebrations! It has changed though, since I was little. What used to be a quiet season with sweaters, mufflers, and NO SALES, it has turned into quite the festive season!
Streets are filled with lights, Christmas trees decked up with wonderful accessories (and sometimes scary looking angels!), and then the differently shaped Santas! Oh it’s simply wonderful to walk about the city during Christmas. Everyone is happy, smiling, shopping, window shopping and just generally spreading good cheer! And strangely, you don’t see this sort of happiness and warmth during any other season. You really cannot help but grin and sing along to the carols being played on slightly scratchy speakers!
Oooh then work doesn’t look like office anymore! It looks uncannily like the North Pole! Christmas trees, mistletoe, stars, balloons (Which adult boys take extreme pleasures in bursting! But that is another story titled : The 20 something babies : Arjun & Gautam) and then the party! Food glorious fooooooood! Absolutely marvellous!
Ah and then there’s my tree. Dear ole tree. He (yes, we had a boy!), was perfectly little and sweet when we (Mum) brought him home four years ago and my oh my, how he has blossomed! He’s at the awkward teenage stage when his top leaves are much longer than the bottom ones. So he does look a bit gangly and strange but he’s my little perfect tree! And he’s very well dressed with baubles and stars and bells! Needless to say, it is always a white Christmas with cotton wool!
Then there are presents! No I am not shallow but I do love presents! Even if it’s a big bear hug from someone or a nice kiss on the cheek! But of course it’s not just that! The whole family branches off is different directions to do the shopping. Very secretly of course. And then we all troop back at exactly the same time, awkwardly shimmying up the stairs with big bags, trying very hard to not show what has been bought! Haha! It’s lovely! As if we don’t know who the pressies are for! Then that evening, everyone will suddenly pretend like that have extremely long business in their bathrooms and will sneak past their desks and grab coloured pens, scissors, scotch tape, wrapping paper and ribbons and casually go into the bathroom only to emerge an hour later looking way too calm to have not been up to mischief!
Once that is all done, the eating begins( Read:Continues) and Christmas Eve dinner is just something else! My brain becomes 9 years old and my tummy enlarges 9 fold! Sheesh. 24 years old and I still can’t sleep on Christmas. MUST LEAVE SANTA HIS COOKIES AND WARM MILK! Ah little pleasures! The minute the clock strikes 12, I become mental with excitement. Like a drunkish little puppy! And of course I wake up Grandma and tell her it’s Christmas! As if she didn’t know! Hahahaha!
And then BOOM it’s 9AM and it’s present opening time! Aaaah the joy of opening presents with the family! All that sneaking about and hiding was worth it then! The day that follows is full of happiness, eating, being merry!Turkey, turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, turkey, gravy, turkey, plum pudding, wine, turkey and Oh yea...some more turkey!
As I write this – on a cold WORKING Boxing Day – I wonder why I am not getting over my post-Christmas upsetness by shopping. At Oxford Street. Or Regent Street. Or Orchard Street. I think all this unhappiness started post becoming an adult. When work and all that came up. So I’ve decided...that’s it. I going to be 9 again! Yaaaay!
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