Early morning, we would jump out of bed, me and my brother, and run to the Christmas tree. A small pine tree in a flowerpot decorated with lights and handcrafted ornaments.
There's gifts under the tree and... and... and... a cake…chocolate cake to be precise. How could the day be any better! Innocent happiness radiates from us as we stand in front of the tree, clutching our gifts and eyeing the cake.
We stand there ecstatic as our grandfather tells us Santa came and left the cake for us. We’re so excited about the prospect that we may have seen him. Never mind that this is Nepal, a predominantly Hindu nation. Never mind that there isn’t any snow. Never mind that we have never seen a reindeer. Never mind that we’re not even Christian.
Maybe it’s us going to a Jesuit school. Maybe it’s mom going to a Convent school. Maybe it’s dad having lived in the UK under the British Army. Maybe it’s because both my grandparents have been influenced by their career in the British Army.
Whatever the reason, it makes no difference to a child. It’s another day of receiving gifts and being pampered.
Our mum tells us to wash up. Unwillingly we go outside with a mug of warm water to brush our teeth. Hurry.. hurry.. hurry… spit…(grin at each other)… swill…spit…(grin again)…rinse…wash…wipe…and run inside. Mum brings us a cup of hot milk and a slice of the cake. We take a bite, a sip and start unwrapping, excited at the prospect of what we lies inside. Our sisters are there watching us open the gifts. We both receive some chocolates, a comic and a hot-wheels car for each of us. They’re small inexpensive gifts but the size of the gifts does not matter. It’s just the idea of receiving something unexpected that makes a difference. We take our food and gifts back to bed and spend the day reading and playing.
It was only much later that I learned the story behind Christmas. But it’s not a religious ritual to me. Just like Dashain, it has pleasant memories that are reminscent of simpler times, when you thought everything was just the best. Christmas is a day in cold weather surrounded by people with warm hearts. Thank you, our grandparents, parents and sisters for making our Christmas so memorable.
As the year comes to an end, some of us lie disappointed, seeking solace in the company of other similar souls. Others sit, proud of our achievement and look forward to starting a family. Still others are stuck in the same groove, trying hard to change the rhythm, but being thrust back into the same routine. To all my family, friends, enemies and frenemies, I would like to wish a Merry Christmas and the best for the New Year.
There's gifts under the tree and... and... and... a cake…chocolate cake to be precise. How could the day be any better! Innocent happiness radiates from us as we stand in front of the tree, clutching our gifts and eyeing the cake.
We stand there ecstatic as our grandfather tells us Santa came and left the cake for us. We’re so excited about the prospect that we may have seen him. Never mind that this is Nepal, a predominantly Hindu nation. Never mind that there isn’t any snow. Never mind that we have never seen a reindeer. Never mind that we’re not even Christian.
Maybe it’s us going to a Jesuit school. Maybe it’s mom going to a Convent school. Maybe it’s dad having lived in the UK under the British Army. Maybe it’s because both my grandparents have been influenced by their career in the British Army.
Whatever the reason, it makes no difference to a child. It’s another day of receiving gifts and being pampered.
Our mum tells us to wash up. Unwillingly we go outside with a mug of warm water to brush our teeth. Hurry.. hurry.. hurry… spit…(grin at each other)… swill…spit…(grin again)…rinse…wash…wipe…and run inside. Mum brings us a cup of hot milk and a slice of the cake. We take a bite, a sip and start unwrapping, excited at the prospect of what we lies inside. Our sisters are there watching us open the gifts. We both receive some chocolates, a comic and a hot-wheels car for each of us. They’re small inexpensive gifts but the size of the gifts does not matter. It’s just the idea of receiving something unexpected that makes a difference. We take our food and gifts back to bed and spend the day reading and playing.
It was only much later that I learned the story behind Christmas. But it’s not a religious ritual to me. Just like Dashain, it has pleasant memories that are reminscent of simpler times, when you thought everything was just the best. Christmas is a day in cold weather surrounded by people with warm hearts. Thank you, our grandparents, parents and sisters for making our Christmas so memorable.
As the year comes to an end, some of us lie disappointed, seeking solace in the company of other similar souls. Others sit, proud of our achievement and look forward to starting a family. Still others are stuck in the same groove, trying hard to change the rhythm, but being thrust back into the same routine. To all my family, friends, enemies and frenemies, I would like to wish a Merry Christmas and the best for the New Year.
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