Jesus Christ was born into a family of shepherds, Krishna was a cowherd – he loved to be among his cattle. The similarity does not end there - Lord Krishna’s birth was in the rainy season and Jesus Christ was born in winter – when there is snow all around. Snow is a form of rain.

Coming as it does at the close of the Christian year, people love to enjoy Christmas with outings and picnics. Normally, starting from Christmas day to New Year’s Day, the attendance in offices is thin. Most schools declare the winter holidays at this time of the year, hence outbound travelers are visible in large numbers at bus terminuses, railway stations and airports. Those who have lapsable leaves to their credit take advantage of these and disappear from sight.

During Christmas, cinemas with universal appeal are released – those with themes of Christmas in modern settings become instant hits. ‘Home alone’ is an example. The logic is obvious – vacations like Christmas are family affairs and are to be enjoyed with all members of the family.

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeeris a popular song one loves to listen to – the story is about Santa Claus’s ’s ninth and lead reindeer who has an unusually red-colored nose that gives off its own light, powerful enough to illuminate the team’s path through bad weather. The children spend sleepless nights waiting to listen to the soft hooves of the reindeer as it draws Santa’s chariot to deposit gifts in the stockings hung on the Christmas tree. This is a concept most Christian children grow up with. The evening prior to Christmas day is one for singing carols and proceeding to the church for the midnight mass. The song jingle bells, jingle bell, jingle all the way is an all time favourite.

For non Christians, it is a holiday meant to enjoy. When I was a kid living in Calcutta, the Christmas Eve was reserved for an annual visit to the New Market – we would be mesmerised by the glittering shop windows and the vast multitude of people moving as if in a trance from one lane to another. We had to be careful not to wander off because the myriad of lanes in New Market was like a labyrinth and it was easy to lose ones sense of direction. The shopkeepers would keep on inviting the people to drop in and those who chose to do so never left empty handed – they invariantly purchased something or the other. When the heady smell of cakes wafted into our nostrils, we could make out that the confectionary shops were not too far away. Yes, we loved those plum cakes and the vast range of liquorices, candies and toffees that had ecstasy written all over them. Christmas, undoubtedly, has a charm of its own.