How does one celebrate Christmas in India? Well, there is certainly a healthy population of Indian Christians (which I might add, is definitely an overrepresented population in my office), but obviously the vast majority of the country does not celebrate the holiday. There is still a whiff of noel in the air, of course, because most westerners in Delhi are (a) Christmas-celebrators and (b) pretty wealthy compared to the rest of the population. As you can perhaps imagine (a) + (b) = healthy dose of consumerism aimed at such population, so in most of the upscale markets nowadays you do see small shops selling plastic Christmas trees and cheap ornaments. (I myself just purchased two Santa Claus hats today as an impulse buy. What I shall do with them, I do not know).
Other than the small shops selling Christmas junk the atmosphere of Christmas is pretty lacking here. In fact, I think we perhaps don't grasp how much the month of December is simply suffused with Christmasy stuff back home but here there is no Christmas music on the radio (or piped through store speakers), no special Christmas sales, no Christmas TV or movie programming, No Salvation Army dudes ringing their bell outside of my workplace, no Christmas decoration of public buildings (except, I think in some malls). For me this is a particularly striking change from last year as I worked just a block away from the big Christmas tree at Rockerfeller Center and catycorner from the Rockettes show--so I was literally at the epicenter of Christmas touristry.
However, just because there is not a citywide celebration in the offering, that doesn't stop me and my friends from getting our Christmas on!!!
So, here's what we've done:
Decorated a tree! I did buy one of those small plastic trees being sold--I'm sorry, I know my environmentalist creds just dropped a bit. My roommates and I do have an excess of Christmas lights (referred to as Diwali lights, here) which we usually use for our rooftop deck. However, I was at a loss as to what we could use for ornaments--so I decided to decorate the tree with my jewelry (including my sparkly bangle bracelets, which make excellent ornaments). And, as it turned out one of my roommates did have a box of ornaments which she'd picked up somewhere, so all and all I think it turned out quite festive!
Went to a Christmas market! This was being held at the German school and had lots of cute little gift stands. For me, of course, the best part was eating the bratwurst. Mmmmmm, bratwurst.
Held an advent party! Apparently this is a German thing--one of my roommates is German--wherein friends and family all get together on the first Sunday in December to eat, drink, and be merry. My German roommate cooked up a storm and we opened up our roof deck for a brunch party which lasted 10 hours.
So as you can see, we can do Christmas quite well without any state support!
Other than the small shops selling Christmas junk the atmosphere of Christmas is pretty lacking here. In fact, I think we perhaps don't grasp how much the month of December is simply suffused with Christmasy stuff back home but here there is no Christmas music on the radio (or piped through store speakers), no special Christmas sales, no Christmas TV or movie programming, No Salvation Army dudes ringing their bell outside of my workplace, no Christmas decoration of public buildings (except, I think in some malls). For me this is a particularly striking change from last year as I worked just a block away from the big Christmas tree at Rockerfeller Center and catycorner from the Rockettes show--so I was literally at the epicenter of Christmas touristry.
However, just because there is not a citywide celebration in the offering, that doesn't stop me and my friends from getting our Christmas on!!!
So, here's what we've done:
Decorated a tree! I did buy one of those small plastic trees being sold--I'm sorry, I know my environmentalist creds just dropped a bit. My roommates and I do have an excess of Christmas lights (referred to as Diwali lights, here) which we usually use for our rooftop deck. However, I was at a loss as to what we could use for ornaments--so I decided to decorate the tree with my jewelry (including my sparkly bangle bracelets, which make excellent ornaments). And, as it turned out one of my roommates did have a box of ornaments which she'd picked up somewhere, so all and all I think it turned out quite festive!
Went to a Christmas market! This was being held at the German school and had lots of cute little gift stands. For me, of course, the best part was eating the bratwurst. Mmmmmm, bratwurst.
Held an advent party! Apparently this is a German thing--one of my roommates is German--wherein friends and family all get together on the first Sunday in December to eat, drink, and be merry. My German roommate cooked up a storm and we opened up our roof deck for a brunch party which lasted 10 hours.
[The food!]
[We gave prizes for the person in the best Christmas-themed clothing]
[My favorite party guest]
[These are my crazy roommates]
So as you can see, we can do Christmas quite well without any state support!
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