It's Christmas!

The nicest thing about being a parent is that one can do all the fun things one had imagined as one grew up. To me, as a child growing up, Christmas was richly decorated shop windows and the stars hanging out in people’s homes. I wanted to be part of those festivities and looked forward to going to friends homes. What I wanted to see there was the Christmas tree, crib and the decorations on the walls and ceilings. There is something about Christmas I can’t explain. I just love the festival.

Though we are not Christians, when Ponnu was born, I decided to celebrate Christmas. Our first Christmas was when she was two years old. I had told Ponnu the story of Christmas and since most of our waking hours were spent in reading out from story books, she knew what to expect.

With a photographer friend of mine from office, I went to Crawford market and had much fun choosing decorations and buying a small artificial tree. I love giving gifts and surprising folks a lot. So I bought a huge teddy bear (I am partial to soft toys), picture books, colour pencils and missed a few local trains so that I could get an empty local to go home in the evening. I was very, very excited. I called up home and had Ponnu busy at some task till I hid the presents. Later, with her in tow, I did up the house. Ponnu’s father, the sport that he is, also pitched in.

Ponnu wondered how Santa Claus could come to our house since it did not have a chimney. So I said, he would come through the window. At that, her father piped up. “Let him come through the living room window for I don’t want him creating a ruckus at midnight, when I am asleep!” Promptly I put a bed for both of us in the living room. I left the windows ajar, and she was too excited to sleep. At 11.45 pm, I said, `Ponnu, you go to sleep or Santa may go off seeing you awake.’ She shut her eyes and in a little while was asleep.

I went and got her presents from where I had hid them and placed them next to her pillow. A few minutes after midnight, I softly tapped her and said, `See, what Santa has left you”. With much squeals and ripping of satin bows, cellophane and coloured papers; the teddy bear and the other presents were held up with much delight. Since both of us were very excited and happy, we decided to wake up Achchan. Ponnu showed off her gifts while her father looked at me with much amusement when she said, ‘Santa gave this to me’.

On one occasion I bought a gift without giving it much thought. Ponnu was just 4 years old. I saw this cane-woven pram at Crawford market and decided to buy it. I also bought story books that I wanted Ponnu to read and colouring books as well. I decided to buy a doll to put in the pram, and got it gift wrapped. It was quite a big parcel and I had to miss even the usual late trains to go home. When I reached home, I locked the room after hiding the parcel in there.

The huge gift when seen lying down from the child’s pillow was a bit terrifying in the dark. Ponnu woke up, when I tapped her awake, and she went, 'ooh' for a split second. Then the ruckus we created tearing off the coloured paper from the pram that year still remains unmatched in my memory.

In the morning, when Ponnu’s father saw the gift I had got, he remarked , “I have yet to see a grown up woman lying in a pram”. It was then that I realized what I had done. I had got a Barbie and placed her in the pram!

Christmas continues to be our Big day. By the first week of December, we get down to tracking the Catholic lady who makes Christmas sweets, tick off from her list the delicacies we want to buy and then go and fetch it just before Christmas Day. Now we have a big tree which we bring out by Dec 20. Then both of us do it up with the many many decorations that we have collected over the years. Of course, now Ponnu does the major part and I help her out with the decorations. The only thing we haven’t done yet is attend Mass. One day soon, I am sure we will do that as well.

Ponnu wants me to find out about other religious festivals to celebrate next year. Her enthusiasm makes every day a joyous celebration. The miracles a child can infuse into an adult’s life!