14 December,2023 06:47 PM IST | Mumbai | Aakanksha Ahire
The decor items for Christmas arrive after the exit of Diwali and are put on sale sometime in mid-November. Image Credits: Amogh Golatkar
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Christmas is two weeks away and the markets in Mumbai never fail to set the Xmas vibe right. During this time of the year, the streets of the city look bright and straight out of a magical film. Additionally, the cool breeze of the winter season adds to the Christmas aesthetics.
The decor items for Christmas arrive after the exit of Diwali and are put on sale sometime in mid-November. Catholics of Mumbai set their Christmas preparations in action about 10-15 days before the main day, to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.
Non-Christian Mumbaikars who love to celebrate the festival are also seen hitting these markets to get their hands on some bright, colourful and cute decor items. While some shop for items to decorate their homes, some look for miniatures to adorn their office desks.
Kevin Baptista (28), a recruitment consultant residing in Vile Parle begins decorating his house 10 days before Christmas along with his family members. "Preparing for Christmas is as fun as celebrating it. I enjoy decorating my home with my family. It brings about a different sense of belonging and togetherness. We begin decorating the walls first with hanging decor like streamers, bells, and posters and keep the Christmas tree for last."
Kevin has already finished his shopping. This year, he purchased lights for Christmas trees, some baubles and streamers. "I usually shop from Crawford market as the items here are available at wholesale rates and hence, comparatively cheaper than the ones found anywhere else."
Shania Fernandes (23), a human resource professional also prefers shopping from Crawford market due to the good quality of the products available at affordable rates. She shares, "We usually start decorating our home four days before Christmas because my mother thinks dust accumulates if we start early. Shania loves every part of Christmas right from decorating the home to relishing Christmas treats together with the family.
Christelle Rosario (26), a senior PR executive from Santacruz loves to shop for Christmas from Bandra or Christmas bazaars that are held in churches and Catholic gymkhanas. She says, "The decor around these sites is slightly higher priced, however, they are aesthetically quite pretty. In bazaars particularly, there are a few unique items such as Christmas-painted glass bottles or candles in the shape of a reindeer which elevate the Christmas look."
This year, Christelle bought a few wall-hanging decorations - bells, Santa and reindeer figurines, stars, as well as some Christmas tree decorations. "We are yet to hit the Christmas bazaars to see what new stuff they have come up with." This Santacruz resident begins decorating her home a week in advance, starting with the house decor, then the tree and the crib. For her, the favourite part of Christmas is spending time with the family. "Decorating, making Christmas sweets, listening to carols builds a completely different feeling of togetherness that you don't get to experience any other time of the year. Additionally, the spread of food is something you can never miss out on."
For those Mumbaikars who are yet to shop for the festival and are looking for options outside Bandra, Mid-day Online curates a handy guide of such places in the city where one can find some of the best Christmas decor items.
Crawford Market
Among the many things the market is famous for from food to cosmetics, it is also known for its Christmas collection. If you wish to shop with a calm mind without chaos, afternoons would be the best time of the day since the place is usually crowded in the evening.
One entire lane in the market is adorned with decor items leaving customers spoilt for choice. From a small snowflake-coated Christmas tree available at Rs 30 to a 10-foot huge tree available for Rs 7,000, this place has something for everyone.
Photo Credits: Amogh Golatkar
Image One can find a star-shaped lantern, crib set, decorations for the tree, fancy Christmassy headbands, fairy lights, streamers, wreaths, baubles, bells, Santa socks, reindeer and much more at a variety of price range that depends on the size of each item. What makes this place unique is that it offers customers a chance to bargain and get the best deals.
One of the sellers at the market, Nawaz (53) who has been selling Christmas decor for the past 16 years tells us, "At the market, we start selling Christmas material from mid-November onwards. For now, the sale is low but it will pick up as the festival approaches. Customers start shopping at least a week early. However, people shop till the very last day." Nawaz is selling mini Christmas trees starting at just Rs 30. The crib set is also worth checking out with the smallest one starting at Rs 350 and the large one priced at Rs 5,500.
Photo Credits: Amogh Golatkar
Gyzel Rodrigues, a Mira Road resident had come down to Crawford market along with her mother and a six-year-old daughter. While Gyzel and her mother were busy selecting a Christmas tree, the little munchkin was engaged in picking a Santa Claus for herself. With a coy smile on her face, the little one tells us, "I love playing with Santa and also helping mommy to decorate the tree."
Earlier Gyzel used to shop from Bandra however it is only recently that her family shifted to shopping from Crawford. "Here we have innumerable options to choose from and that too at much cheaper rates than Bandra."
Borivali West, IC Colony
Mid-day Online's next stop was Borivali where we found two stores in IC Colony situated right outside the IC Church. They offer myriad options to choose from.
City Collection:
Photo Credits: Amogh Golatkar
Ritik Patel(24) runs City Collection, that has been selling Christmas decor material for the past 18 years. Ritik enjoys customer loyalty from a majority of residents living in the area. He says, "I sell A-Z items related to Christmas. My customers will find everything they need in my store." True to this, the store has organised a massive display of decor items at the entrance that is unmissable and lures one into making a purchase.
At City Collection, you can buy a 1-foot tall tree for Rs 90 and a 20-foot tall tree for Rs 10,000. These prices can also vary depending on the quality and material used to make the product. Ritik says, "Since plastic is banned, most of the items are made using fibre with only a few made from plastic."
Sharing more details, he also says, "Since most of the products are manufactured in China or use materials produced in China, the sale of Christmas decor was meagre during the Covid-19 pandemic. However, post-pandemic, I have observed a hike in the sales of these items."
He also informs that each year there are about 50-60 new and unique designs that make it to the market while retaining the cultural essence of Christmas decor material.
Choice Centre
Photo Credits: Amogh Golatkar
Another store that shoppers can check out is Choice Centre which is located opposite City Collection. Its owner Janak Mauji Phatak began selling Christmas items some 20 years back. Besides selling trees and wreaths, the main attraction here are miniatures displayed in baskets.
One can find mini drums, Santas, snow bells, stars, cherry leaves, disco balls, pinecones, snow bears, bows and much more starting at just Rs 10.
Prices at both these stores are fixed.
Malad West, Orlem
Another neighbourhood in Mumbai's Malad is Orlem. Quaint and peaceful, this locality mainly has Catholic residents. Orlem is also home to Our Lady of Lourdes Church surrounding which one can find stores selling Christmas delights. We spotted three stores which will offer you items you won't find anywhere else.
Fantasy Collection:
Photo Credits: Amogh Golatkar
The variety of Christmas decor items is so huge at Fantasy Collection that they had to take an additional spot on rent to display their extensive spread of items. Stepping into this store will transport you to an ancient period. The inside of the store is stuffed with Christmas decor and miniatures that were exclusively spotted here. Ramu (30) who was managing the store says, "I have been working here for over 10 years. Each year I meet old customers and also see many new faces."
In his observation, people have cut down on shopping post-pandemic. "I guess people's spending capacity has reduced after the pandemic and they prefer to shop less as compared to some five years back. Fir bhi log khareedte hai thoda bohot. Tyohar toh log manate hi hai, bhale kam kharche mai (Nevertheless people do buy a few items because after festival celebrations are a must.)"
Jain Mobile and Gift Centre:
Photo Credits: Amogh Golatkar
For those who don't mind spending a tad bit extra and also wish to purchase Christmas-themed mugs, bottles, and other items can head to Jain Mobile and Gift Centre which has been selling Christmas items for the past seven years.
Jayashree Jain, owner of the store says, "Orlem is a Christian locality, so we decided to sell Christmas items." With an infectious smile and a friendly approach, Jayashree displays excitement to show customers the variety of items available for sale. A unique item at her store was a dancing Santa hat priced at Rs 950 that also has a voice-mimicry feature installed. When asked about the kind of demands she gets from customers, she smiles and says, "I find my Christian customers to be very simple and sweet. They don't have any extravagant demands."
At the store, the starting price of a wreath is Rs 20 and Rs 30 for trees. According to her, the best time to shop at Orlem is in the evenings since all stores light up their shops to also display a variety of lighting on sale.
A1 Collection:
Photo Credits: Amogh Golatkar
Established by Kamlesh Patel in 1988, A1 Collection is one of the oldest shops in the locality and is known for selling festive items. The store manager here tells us, "Besides the Catholic residents of Malad, we also have customers coming from across Mumbai, especially from Bandra, Vile Parle and Andheri." Here too, one can find almost everything for the festival. Besides this, the store also sells unique lighting and showpieces which are worth buying if one wishes to elevate their home decor. The pricing of items here too fall within similar ranges of Rs 150 to Rs 10,000 depending on the item you purchase and its size.
