APPY Christmas in advance, dear readers. Besides feasting on fruit-rich Christmas cake, pears and cherries made of marzipan and hot cocoa, one of our childhood rituals was to reread our favourite Christmas stories in the holidays. Be it Enid Blyton or Agatha Christie, we found that few popular writers could resist telling a Christmas story.
The bottom line is that you may be allergic to rude and intrusive evangelists, but what's not to love about Jesus? My grandmother had a small European art picture of Mother Mary holding baby Jesus in her puja room. My mother, a staunch Hindu, gave me Bible stories to read along with other storybooks, and one day she pointed out that 'the poor are at the heart of the gospel'.
I loved singing carols and hymns so much that I still remember them from childhood. My maami used to play the piano and threw a Christmas party every year so we could gather around and sing while she played. I even mugged up the Paternoster or Our Father prayer in Latin because I found it beautiful. India, that way, is like a great big box of chocolates for us that we are free to participate in and enjoy different traditions without fear.
Out North, Christmas has long become a Hindu festival. Santa hats, Christmas trees, star-shaped paper lamps, and Christmas cakes are hugely popular with Hindu families. It does not make them 'less Hindu'. Hindus enjoy any festival with an endearing basis and charming traditions, be it Christmas or Valentine's Day.
Denne historien er fra December 23, 2024-utgaven av The New Indian Express Kochi.
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Denne historien er fra December 23, 2024-utgaven av The New Indian Express Kochi.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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KALEIDOSCOPIC REFLECTIONS OF BEAUTY, BANTER AND WOMANHOOD
The unassuming opening of Victoria puts us directly inside a bus that chugs along a routine route, carrying the titular Victoria (Meenakshi Jayan) and an old woman clutching a rooster, of all things.
Christopher Nolan's next titled The Odyssey
ACCLAIMED director Christopher Nolan is set to adapt Homer's ancient Greek epic poem The Odyssey into a feature film.
My favourite books of the year
2024 was a fantastic bookish year for me. I completed two bucket list items: speaking at the Jaipur Literature Festival in January and opening an antiquarian bookstore in Bengaluru in November.
Deol's ton helps India seal series
HARLEEN DEOL'S maiden hundred set the foundation and India sealed the ODI series with a 115-run win over the West Indies.
Cranbrook to MCG, the rise and rise of teenager Konstas
ON the eve of New South Wales' first Sheffield Shield match of the season - against South Australia at Cricket Central in Sydney - Sam Konstas was sitting with his batting coach Tahmid Islam for dinner.
Shooting mental sport, don't know when award snub will affect Manu: Jaspal
DOUBLE Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker finally broke her silence on her exclusion from Khel Ratna list.
Timely lift for Haryana shuttler
DEVIKA SIHAG is stoked at the moment. She had a valid reason to be.
India to play matches in Dubai, Pak tie on Feb 23
FINALLY, the International Cricket Council on Tuesday announced the much-awaited schedule of the 2025 Champions Trophy.
Excited with pack of pacers in SA20
WITH the third edition of the SA20 coming soon, the Ambassador of the franchise league and former South African fast bowler Allan Donald believes the new crop of pace bowlers coming from his home country are the ones to watch out for.
HFCL defence equipment mfg unit in Hosur
HFCL Limited, a leading telecom equipment maker, on Tuesday inaugurated a state-of-the-art defence equipment manufacturing facility in Hosur, Tamil Nadu.
