December is a month which probably some of us like most in a year for various reasons - holidays, the end of a year with the promise of a new beginning, cold winter mornings which are always welcome in a hot country like India, and occasions like Christmas and New Year's Eve which see revelry and celebration.
This year's Christmas was special for me because I decided to initiate a small ritual of gift-giving for my sons. My elder son, thanks to the cartoon shows he watches, was fascinated with the concept of X-mas trees and gifts given by the mythical Santa Claus. A month before the festival, he eagerly counted down the days hoping for a Christmas gift. I too jumped on to the bandwagon by constantly harping on the "fact" that Santa Claus would only give him and his brother a gift if they behaved well and were good boys. Naturally, my elder one took it to heart and began to listen to me. He also reminded his younger brother (who is unfortunately too young to be manipulated) that he better be nice if he wanted a gift. Funnily, my son has never showed as much enthusiasm for any of our festivals. (Diwali - he's afraid of the bombs, Holi - not game
enough to play with colours , all other festivals where food is the most important thing - not a foodie).
To give him a true feel of the festival spirit, I decided to buy an X-mas tree and surprise him with a gift on Christmas morning. I bought my two sons a couple of presents and then stopped on my way at a shop which was selling Christmas trees of various sizes. Seeing a really cute and small one, I stepped inside and quickly bought it along with a star and some Christmas decorations. As the salesperson was packing my purchases, I suddenly realized that I, a Hindu, was buying a symbol of a Christian festival from a shop that was owned and managed by a Muslim! I was amazed at this simple but wonderfully warm feeling of being in a community of love, respect and tolerance. It is indeed small instances like these that remind us that even in times of cynicism, negativity and intolerance, it is possible for us to be sane and sensible, tolerant and human.
Needless to say, my son was overjoyed on finding his present under the Christmas tree as soon as he woke up that day. It was indeed a merry Christmas!
