Remembering Christmas – a trip down memory lane

Jingle bells, jingle bells

Jingle all the way

Oh, what fun it is to ride

In a one horse open sleigh....

Singing this popular Christmas carol was my favourite thing during Christmas. December - the month of Christmas as well as the smell of winters makes it my favourite month of the year. Having studied in a convent school, the festival has had a significant impact on me since childhood. Getting a gift from Santa Clause has always been exciting, ever since I was a kid. I used to believe that Santa really existed and that he will shower any gift that we desire if I was well behaved.

The idea of tying socks near the window so that Santa could put the gift in it secretly at night, still gives me immense happiness. The excitement you feel when you get up in the morning and run out to the window to see the beautiful gift he has left for you, is still unparalleled. Even though it's just a myth, even when I know it's not the truth, I still feel like believing it. Even the thought of it makes me excited.

During school days, we used to have our final exams in the month of December. So on the last day of our exams, we used to celebrate Christmas with our teachers. We enthusiastically took part in activities like carol singing competition, staging plays on the birth of Jesus and that used to fill us with immense joy. Singing carol with friends on the top of our voices and taking part in plays was the best part of the celebration. Chocolates and toffees that we used to get as Christmas gifts from our school were priceless; they felt like the best gifts ever.

I feel December is the month of joy and happiness and everyone eagerly awaits it. People are usually merry as they get to start afresh with the arrival of new year. Christmas makes the month even more special and is just like the icing on the cake.

Nowadays everyone is so busy with their lives that they hardly get time to spend with their families. Christmas is a festival where all the family members come together and celebrate. Everyone looks forward to the joyous occasion. It embraces the idea of togetherness.

Small electric lamps or small oil-lamps that are used for decorating homes are put weeks before Christmas. Imitations of pine trees or branches of native trees or bushes are used as Christmas trees in our country, India. It is always fun to decorate the Christmas tree with garlands, tinsel, candy canes and bells. An angel or a star is placed on the top of the tree which represents the angel Gabriel or the Star of Bethlehem.

I feel that attending special church services, spending time with family members, wearing new clothes and eating a festive meal are a necessary part of celebrating Christmas. And yes, how can we leave out gifts, as it is the exciting part of the merrymaking, for children and grown-ups alike. Exchanging gifts or giving small presents or sweets to children are noble gestures that bring a smile on everyone's face.

On the whole, Christmas for me is like taking a nostalgic trip through childhood memories, which takes me back to those cheerful days and never fails to make me smile.