It’s Christmas! Celebrations have kicked off around the world and it is celebrated with traditional gaiety and fervour. Twinkling stars, carol singing and the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ all add to the Christmas spirit. It is also the time of the year to cherish and share sweet memories of Christmas.
Remembering her childhood Christmas celebration, singer Sayanora says, “When I was a child, we used to go to our tharavaadu. All our relatives and cousins would join us there and we would go for midnight mass on Christmas eve. We have this lovely tradition that on Christmas eve, after cake cutting, our family gathers around to sing Christmas carols while sipping the delicious wine made by my mother. This goes on till 2.30 in the morning. My favourite carols are Joy to the world, Hark the herald angels sing, and God’s rest ye merry gentlemen.”
This year too, Sayanora will join her family at Kannur for Christmas. “This Christmas, I am spending my time with my family in Kannur. Christmas is not just about celebrations, it is time for sharing and bringing happiness to others. So we will be visiting Santhwana Bhavan, an orphanage, and giving them gifts.”
For pretty actress Mia George, Christmas is all about being with one’s family “Thank God I can celebrate Christmas with my family. Going for midnight mass is my favourite part. Even after coming into films, I ensure I spend Christmas with my family. Although I have to go to Chennai for a Tamil film shoot the very next day, I am happy that I will not miss celebrating Christmas with my family,” says Mia.
Almost everybody connects Christmas memories with midnight mass. Walking down memory lane, director Lal Jose shares his memories of Christmas; “In my hometown Ottapalam, when I was a child, only a few Christians including our family, were settled there. The first thing that come to my mind about Christmas was John uncle’s singing. He was one of the members of the church and for the midnight mass, he would do the vocals and his daughter and son on keyboard and guitar. My Christmas was not complete without that. A priest from Mangalore would lead the mass and every year, he would give the same old sermon in broken Malayalam, which made all of us, even the nuns doze off!”
Jim Reeve’s classic Jingle Bells is Lal Jose’s favourite carol and this Christmas he will be celebrating with his brother. “It’s a song that brings on the merry mood and this Christmas, I am going to my brother’s house to celebrate and have fun!”
