I'll Be Home For Christmas

The world is in a joyous mood as it’s time for everyone’s beloved baby Jesus’ birthday.

- Pantaleao Fernandes

THE birth of little baby Jesus is the birth of a family. A glance in the Christmas crib, with Joseph, Mary and the tiny infant Jesus huddled together reinforces our need to be part of a family and stirs the longing to be with our families wherever we are. No wonder then that little children and wives love to hear the chant “I’ll be Home for Christmas” from their daddies and hubbies working in distant lands and on board ships. In fact soon after Christmas, the church celebrates the feast of the Holy Family. And Christmas is a good reason for families to come together and enjoy the love and warmth that can only exude from a close knit family.

The spark of Christmas warmth is lit almost a month in advance when the church enters the season of Advent – a four week long period of preparation for Christmas. In most churches, an Advent wreath ceremony is conducted. The wreath holds four candles with different colours, with each candle being lit on each Sunday with its own theme.

Goan family takes pride in putting up the Christmas crib. Mummy, daddy and the little ones come together and join minds and hands and the result is usually an artistic crib. So it is with the Christmas star. Hundreds of different and unique stars decorate the balcaos and galleries of Christian families and a few Hindu families too, with the entire family contributing its mite.