Christmas 2022: How these non-Christian Mumbaikars are celebrating the festival

From buying gifts for loved ones to shopping supplies for treats, the spirit of Christmas manifests itself in diverse ways. The essence of Christmas is deep rooted in harmony and divinity. Many non-Christian Mumbaikars have absorbed the festive values and made their own traditions around Christmas. With activities like cake-mixing, arranging nativity set, wine-mulling to singing carols, Mumbaikars have built their own traditions and customs to rejoice Christmas.

"My mom bought the complete nativity scene for me this Christmas. It has all the toy figurines of baby Jesus, Joseph, Mother Mary, animals, angels, and shepherds. My siblings couldn't resist and have already put the figurines together to set up the whole manger scene. I can't express how excited I am for the best time of the year!" shares Manya Gupta with Midday Online. Manya is on her semester break from Sophia College and is going all in to welcome the festive vibe.

A nativity scene is a special exhibition during Christmas that depicts the birth of Jesus. The tradition is practiced to relive the historical event at Bethlehem and to signify that Jesus was a human. The scene comes in all sizes and can be usually found at churches, shopping malls as well as homes. Manya goes on to add, "We always decorate a Christmas tree and leave our wishes in a basket around it. In the morning we unwrap the presents we bought for each other. Dad gets this absolutely delicious plum cake and mom makes a whole roast chicken along with truffles."

In another instance, Rishi, a city-based photographer, tells us, "Christmas is the only festival that brings me immense joy." He visits Mother Mary church in Bandra, to capture the merriment and celebrations amongst people. Upon being asked about his Christmas traditions, he reflects, "So I have been writing letters to Santa Claus ever since I learnt to write. I still do as it's a way for me to tell the universe what I want from life. The best part of this customary belief is that I always get a present! It's not necessarily a physical asset or a tangible object. Sometimes it's the positivity that I need in life, at other times, an inspiration for my next muse."

Rajeev Kashikar, 45, an investment banker, has a set of festive traditions that are deep rooted in his childhood. He recalls, "When I was 15, my neighbour, Aunt Faye, would call me to her place for group carols. She would play piano while the rest of us sang ‘Joy to the World', ‘Silent Night', ‘Last Christmas' and many more carols. I used to wait till the end only to get the treats! She used to make kulkuls, Guava cheese, and my favourite Bebincas. I still go to Aunt Faye's place for carols and make sure to never miss out on those treats!" To him, Christmas is not about just one day but the run-up to the day and what follows after. He adds, "I may have grown up but I never stop buying red fur stockings, red fur caps and other knick knacks to have light-hearted moments at work!"

We all have that one Christian friend who invites us over for good food and good wine every Christmas. Recollecting festive dinners, Sai resonates with us and shares, "I celebrate Christmas with my Christian best friend, Alekhya. She invites our group of friends over to her place for a grand dinner treat which consists of garlic mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, chicken lasagna, dumplings, Bundt cake, gingerbreads and plum pudding. My mouth waters even while recalling the names! Later, we begin with opening our gifts to guess who our secret Santa is. We have been doing this for seven years straight now."

Puneet Kalra, a pastry chef from the School of European Pastry has a unique ritual, "There's this local home bakery in Kandivali that makes the best home-made plum cakes during Christmas. Every year, we order one and wait for 25 December. On Christmas Eve at midnight, we cut the cake and play the hymn ‘Silent Night'. It's usually always an amazing, almost ethereal experience. Later we devour it within our family while watching old Bengali movies. It has been years since we have been following our own little tradition for Christmas. We spend the entire year counting down the days until the plum cake notifications start coming from the bakery."

Samrah, a school teacher at Ashok Academy is a real Santa with presents in her bag. She shares, "On the last exam before Christmas, we organise a class potluck. Students bring tasty meals from home and set them near the teacher's table. They dress up in reds, whites and greens and all look so cute together. After the exam is over, we share the feast before dispersing for winter break. I get them small packs of presents which are always the highlight of the day. The gift packs are usually craft kits or stationary items which they absolutely love to unwrap. It feels very fulfilling to share these moments with my beloved students."

Along with the celebrations, comes a sense of gratitude for all the bounties that Mumbaikars enjoy. In a chat with Midday, Tarini feels humbled to share, "We are a Marathi family but my folks are very fond of Christmas festivities. We bake rum cakes for ourselves as well as our neighbours and friends. Our favourite activity to usher in the winter Christmas vibe is to watch all parts of Home Alone snacking on mutton pattice, pastry puffs, and tea. Later, we make a wholesome stuffed chicken for dinner and feel grateful for having a loving mom, a roof on top of our heads, food on the table, and money to handle the expenses."

Read More: Tradition and treats: Mumbai kickstarts Christmas festivities with cake-mixing