Thursday, December 27, 2007

The Magic of Christmas



And so another Christmas has come and gone. When I look back, it seems to me that the best Christmases were when I was a kid. Mum would start cranking up her sewing machine sometime in December and sew us the prettiest Christmassy-est dresses. For all her three daughters she'd repeat the same frilly, frothy, lace-trimmed designs (all this was before my older sister turned 11 and got smart, refusing to wear the same dresses as us and wanting a different look instead). New shoes and socks and sometimes a cardigan would complete the picture and we'd be all set for another magical Christmas. Dad would string up brightly coloured streamers across the ceiling starting from the centre and rippling out to all four sides of the room and we'd sit warming ourselves by the brazier, pigging out on the oranges Mum always made sure to stock up on.



On the night of Christmas Eve, we'd put large empty trays by our beds for Christmas Pa to fill, and next morning we'd excitedly jump out of bed to see what was on our trays, usually an assortment of toys, little fashion accessories, sweets, balloons etc. Again it was my older sister who first found out Christmas Pa wasn't some nice kindly old geezer but your own parents and told us so. I didn't want to believe it and I still vividly recall the huge disappointment I felt the day I was idly talking about it to Mum who was busy working at her sewing machine again, and she admitted that yes, it was true and she even got up and swearing me to secrecy, showed me the stuff she'd got to load onto our trays the next day. I guess it's an indication of the shock to my system that I still remember one item she showed me... a little doll on a swing who swung round and round when you turned the key. Needless to say, that was the last time Christmas Pa paid us a visit.

Happily the tradition continues. And one of the most delightful sights and sounds on Christmas mornings are the little children asking each other 'what did Christmas Pa give you?' and showing off their goodies to everyone they see...

15 comments:

  1. Merry Christmas J. Hugs. Yeah I too was extremely disappointed when I found out the truth about Santa. But I guess thats how life goes. Cute girl in the pic.

    Remember those Xmas in Mizoram a loong time ago when we used to celebrate with crackers and stuff. Hehe. Now those are restricted only to New Year. Hope you have a grand time at the ruatheh and make yourself merry. Cheers.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Merry Christmas to you too Kim. Ruaitheh was yesterday...in these times of inflation we have ruai just one day now. And a few vengs are going without for New Year's on account of Mautam.
    Some people especially kids who have nothing better to do around our locality do still fire up crackers at Christmas and make quite a din. And the Chinese toy pistols that come with those noisy ammunition are even more nervewracking!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hope you had a good one. What's cooking for new year's? Am home with family so whether Santa or Banta, its been good.

    ReplyDelete
  4. It seems everyone’s best Christmases are the ones when we were kids. It’s the same here with me. I’ve had the privilege of attending the kind of Christmas parties which I only dreamt of when growing up but they pale in comparison to the Christmases of my childhood and those ‘wonder years’ when even just a glance from the ONE made your day. On the downside, one of the things I remember is the extreme cold of those days which meant huddling close to the big campfires/meipuis during Christmas/New Year. I used to think that it was much more colder in those days but realize now that it was because we simply did not have the big heavy jackets/overcoats/shawls that we now have to wear during winter. I’m talking about the days when our traditional shawls were woven only from normal pat (threads) and woolen threads were only used for knitting sweaters/mufflers and those caps with a woolen ball sewed on top or, for the more fashion-conscious, with the woolen ball or balls dangling by strings attached to the top of the cap. I think the cold, and with it the importance or need for meipuis, left when some bright mind thought of weaving our shawls using woolen threads. Then cheap and good second-hand jackets and overcoats came….and the rest, as they say, is history….and, sadly, as we grow older Christmas is becoming just another day.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Merry Christmas Calliopia, hope it was magical.

    The only Christmases that mean a lot to me are the ones when I was a kid. The rest seem to have passed in a blur. Maybe when we have our own kids, it will be wonderful again. My kids are going to believe in Krismas putar, atleast for a few year. Why burst all the bubbles in the world? :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Merry Christmas to you too, dear diary. Like Chaotic here puts it, sadly Christmas has become just another day. Btw I was thinking... when we were kids it was Christmas Pa, now he's Christmas putar. When did that change, I wonder? And you're so right about the bubbles. Keep 'em floating for as long as possible!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Chaotic, I couldn't agree more with you on the Christmas becoming just another day feeling. It's probably to do with the cynicism or level-headedness that comes with age and experience. Like while you may think this Christmas wasn't much to write home about, your kids may wax lyrical about it someday and see something magical in it that you didn't... like "the old-fashioned Jim Reeves songs dad always played while other people were jumping around to xmas trance etc etc" :P
    It's still pretty cold where I'm at and no woollens can take away the wintry feeling in my legs and butt! I love winter for the clear blue skies and sunny days but the cold seems to bite more each passing year :(

    ReplyDelete
  8. Philo, good to hear you're home. Christmas is a time for families to be together, I always think. Nothing special on the menu for New Year's, alas. Guess I'll just have to take whatever's on the house. Have fun!

    ReplyDelete
  9. even though i don't believe in Christmas putar anymore, i still love the idea of 'dawhthlak'...still dawhthla till last year...even wen am not in Mizoram, mom used to put a plate for me and keeps my dawhthlak there and then parcel it off to me :D

    Merry Christmas and have a happy happy new year...

    ReplyDelete
  10. Christmas Pa i tih hi Christmas Putar kan tih thin nen khan an inang tho em?

    ReplyDelete
  11. lexx, kan naupan lai a Christmas Pa te kha chu in lo pian ve te chuan a lo tar bawih ve tawh ang chu!

    virgo, enge i la dawhthlak thin a? Perfume, make-up, clothes tih te mi? Ka duh veeee.

    ReplyDelete
  12. yesh...clothes, make-up, shampoo, conditioner, sandals, socks, stockings, lotion, gloves...hehehe...BA 1st year ka zir kum in teedy bear var LIAN puiiiii, Baktea ang tiat vel ka dawhthla a, kha kha toys ka dawhthlak hnuhnung ber

    :D

    *hihi*

    ReplyDelete
  13. Rami khan englo pawh a dawhthla ang chu..

    ReplyDelete
  14. LOL sual seh suah suh, lal elexx.

    virgo, kchu teddy bear Baktea size chu soi loh Barbie size poh ka la dawng ve ngai aih lo! A na bik ngei e :((

    ReplyDelete
  15. in pa in leitir wroh...Baktea aia LIAN size

    :D

    ReplyDelete