The 1st week of December is the time to bring out the X'mas tree, set up the crib and last but not the least, put up the X'mas star. Till Aman came along, we would only have the star and never bothered about a tree or crib. But for the past 4 years I have been spending time on setting up the tree and also a crib, since kids usually like this part.
As me and Aman started working on the tree and crib, I see the same activity happening in the home opposite ours. Nothing odd about it, other than the fact that they are Hindus. In Kerala, it is pretty common to see the star hanging in Hindu homes, but not many bother about a tree. In this case, again I believe it could be due to the presence of a kid in the home. And possibly in part due to the enthusiasm of the kid's father who married into this family.
X'mas with its stars / cakes / carols / wine / trees / Santa Claus etc has in it something that attracts most people and in general heightens the mood of the festive season for everyone. And it does not really matter whether you believe in the story or not. Same with Diwali where the sweets / crackers / new-clothes ensure that even non-Hindus get into the mood of the festival. Same goes for Holi too, where the fun and frolic with vibrant colors is something that is attracting.
Having grown up in North-India, Diwali and Holi were among the festivals that we enjoyed and celebrated the most. The fact that these were not X'ian festivals was irrelevant. Kerala does not really have Diwali, but I do make it a point to get some sparklers and small crackers during Diwali so that Aman / Ishaan have an idea about this festival. Holi is something I would like to celebrate with the kids, especially because Aman expressed an interest in celebrating this. But as far as Kerala is concerned, this festival does not even exist. Next time, need to pick up some colors from Chennai.
As me and Aman started working on the tree and crib, I see the same activity happening in the home opposite ours. Nothing odd about it, other than the fact that they are Hindus. In Kerala, it is pretty common to see the star hanging in Hindu homes, but not many bother about a tree. In this case, again I believe it could be due to the presence of a kid in the home. And possibly in part due to the enthusiasm of the kid's father who married into this family.
X'mas with its stars / cakes / carols / wine / trees / Santa Claus etc has in it something that attracts most people and in general heightens the mood of the festive season for everyone. And it does not really matter whether you believe in the story or not. Same with Diwali where the sweets / crackers / new-clothes ensure that even non-Hindus get into the mood of the festival. Same goes for Holi too, where the fun and frolic with vibrant colors is something that is attracting.
Having grown up in North-India, Diwali and Holi were among the festivals that we enjoyed and celebrated the most. The fact that these were not X'ian festivals was irrelevant. Kerala does not really have Diwali, but I do make it a point to get some sparklers and small crackers during Diwali so that Aman / Ishaan have an idea about this festival. Holi is something I would like to celebrate with the kids, especially because Aman expressed an interest in celebrating this. But as far as Kerala is concerned, this festival does not even exist. Next time, need to pick up some colors from Chennai.
