Book Review: INDIAN CHRISTMAS

Title: Indian Christmas

Editors: Jerry Pinto and Madhulika Liddle

Publisher: Speaking Tiger

Pages: 234

My GoodReads Rating: ⭐⭐⭐1/2 

This book consisted of a series of essays on the subject of Christmas as it is celebrated in India. I would have loved to contribute to this collection. If there is another edition, I hope the editors reach out to me.

 

Unto All of Us a Child Is Born by Jerry Pinto: I could totally relate to this essay. Jerry spoke about the lack of snow in Bombay at Christmas and how we aspired to have snow because that is what we saw in Christmas cards and films. Older people talked about Jim Reeves; he was the cornerstone of secular Christmas music. Jerry also spoke about the crass commercialism that Christmas has been reduced to, and reminded us that Christ and his family were migrants, relating the fact to His teaching, Whatsoever you do to the least of my brothers, that you do unto Me.

Jerry highlighted the fact of Jesus’ Birth, and related it to the title, Unto All of Us a Child Is Born. That single word, All, makes us all party to the great miracle, and invites the least of us to partake in the message of joy, hope, peace and love.

This was by far my favourite among the essays. Jerry’s essay reminds us of the reason for the season, which often gets lost amid the commercialisation of Christmas. This was also the only essay that referenced what it means to be an Indian Christian.

 

Christmas in Many Flavors by Madhulika Liddle describes the diverse ways in which Christmas is celebrated in India, in terms of foods, sweets, snacks, songs and décor, as also the diversity of religious (as per the different denominations of Christianity) and secular celebrations. As she says, “We adopted the faith, but reserved for ourselves the right to decide how we’d celebrate its festivals.”

The Child by Rabindranath Tagore: This lyrical poem contains the last two sections of one of Tagore’s finest long poems, inspired by the life of Jesus Christ. The poem roots the Nativity amid the rhythms and struggles of Indian rural life.

In the Spirit by Salman Rushdie: As an atheist Muslim, neither Rushdie nor his family celebrated Christmas. But Christmas entered his life several times in other ways.

At Midnight the Shepherds Saw the Light (Author Unknown) was a poem translated from Hindi. We read the original Hindi and the English translation and, in both languages, the words ‘Aadhi raat’ and midnight, repeated several times, are soothing and affirming.

Cake ki Roti at Dua ka Ghar by Madhulika Liddle: Here the author tells the true story of her own surname and how it came to be. Dua ka ghar (house of prayer) was the name of the author’s family home, built by her grandfather. This recollection was warm and fuzzy. The author shares her childhood memories and reiterates a point I believe: that Christmas and Christianity are not Western constructs. They belong to Indian Christians as much as to any believer.

The Sunset Club by Khushwant Singh: This excerpt takes us into the lives of the Hindu Mr Sharma, the Sikh Boota and the Muslim Baigs. Later in the excerpt, Begum Baig points out that Christians make merry but don’t go to church to give thanks to their Maker. I enjoy reading Khushwant Singh, but the Christmas reference here was incidental.

A Merry Vindalee to You by Anupama Raju: The author gives us the story of Vindalee, the Keralite version of the Goan-Portuguese Vindaloo, and her mother’s recipe. A Christmas Wedding in Kottayam by Elizabeth Kuruvilla: The narrator and her husband, on a road trip on their Enfield from Delhi to Kerala, are now in Kottayam, her hometown, to attend their reception. Both these stories were fuelled by nostalgia, but they were more about food than about Christmas.

I’m Dreaming of a Goan Christmas by Vivek Menezes makes a reference not only to the sweets, but also to what Christmas means to Catholics and those of other faiths in Goa. I liked this essay.

Nothing Compares to the Joys of a Village by Mary Sushma Kindo (Translated from Hindi by Renuka Chatterjee) was a lovely eye-opener to how Christmas is celebrated in small villages in the Hindi heartland. They don’t have enough but manage to mark the day with joy.

My Memories of Christmas by Hansda Sowvendra Shekhar also talks about Christmas in her childhood, when she was fascinated by the festival, but from a non-Christian perspective. The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri: The excerpt shows a Bengali family in the US beginning a Christmas tradition.

In Search of an East Indian Christmas in Mumbai by Debbie Rosario describes the tradition of Christmas celebrations that she witnessed when she was young.

Did Your First Christmas Cake Come out of an Ammunition Box Too? By Easterine Kire was interesting. Santa Comes in a Rickshaw—Christmas in Bow Barracks by Nazes Afroz was too short and ended abruptly. I would have liked to read more. Christmas in the Moon Place by Veio Pou was a lovely depiction of life in a small Christian village in Manipur around Christmas.

Yuletides of Yore by Minoo Avari was a recounting of several Christmas memories, one of which was the 28^th birthday celebration of her mother, which coincided with Christmas. 

In A Village Christmas by Damodar Mauzo (Translated from Konkani by Jerry Pinto), the author talks about the Hindu festival, Ganesh Chaturthi, and Christmas being his favourite festivals, and links these favourites to the strong secular fabric of his village.

How India’s Pluralistic Past Shows the Way Forward by Manimugdha S Sharma: Here the writer talks about festivals in general, and Christmas in particular, and mourns the fact that India’s pluralism is on the decline.

Armenia Christmas Food in Calcutta by Mohona Kanjilal is a detailed description of the title.

In Christmas Memories of a Family by Nivedita Mishra, the writer, born and raised in a multi-cultural multi-religious family, tells us that she is not very religious, but that she does have a strong faith in God and that her faith is rewarded one Christmas. This was another one of my favourite essays in this collection.

Last Christmas in Bandra by Aravind Adiga was a random unrelated recollection of a judge. Christmas was only incidental here.

Christmas Carols Punjabi Style (Translated from Punjabi by Nirupama Dutt: There is no mention of the writer’s name.

Made in India and All of That by Nilima Das is a charming account of the childhood of a woman of mixed parentage who received the best of both worlds.

A Christmas Prayer—Words and Music by Alfred J D’Souza; Arranged for choir by Leon D’Souza

Most of the essays were about the secular nature of Christmas and the celebrations, rather than any affirmations of faith. This collection can be read by anyone who misses the secular appeal of Christmas. 

I loved the beautiful cover of the Holy Family in Indian garb.

(I read this book on NetGalley. Thank you to the author, the publisher and NetGalley.)

Book Review: CHRISTMAS STORIES YOU'VE NEVER HEARD: LIKE HOW BABY JESUS HAD A CONE HEAD AND STUFF

Title: Christmas Stories You've Never Heard: Like How Baby Jesus Had A Cone Head And Stuff
Author: Sammy Adebiyi
Publisher: Sammy Adebiyi
Pages: 88
My GoodReads Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

This book does the impossible, bringing about a sense of newness to the Story of the Nativity, a story we’ve heard a thousand times and could recite in our sleep.

Through seven short chapters, all quirkily named, this book brings about a newfound reverence in all readers.

In Christmas Choir Gone Bad, the author reminds us that the people in the Bible were far from perfect. Their stories were the kind of stuff that Sunday School teachers would frown at, but that’s how it is. And yet, God picked these imperfect people to be part of the lineage that ultimately Christ was part of.

It is a reminder that our imperfections can’t get in the way of our salvation, as long as our faith wants in. As Adebiyi says, “Don’t worry about the super ripped, balding angel bouncer at the door.”

The writing is imbued with candour; the author relates each of the highlighted elements with experiences from his own life. He explains the analogies, occasionally stretching them to the limit, until we get what he is trying to say.

As he promises, he delivers. It is true that we have taken the superawesomeness of the Christmas story for granted but that’s because no one really pointed it out to us the way Adebiyi has.

Messrs Mathew, Mark, Luke and John used simple words to write their versions of the Gospel because, of course, a story as amazing as that didn’t need embellishment. The truth was amazing by itself.

That is why it helps that Adebiyi has highlighted some of the most inspiring elements of the Nativity story, all tied up casually in a tone that mixes up the elements of pop culture with all things Biblical. Once you focus, you see the thread of deep faith and reverence that suffuses the writing.

Don’t get me wrong. Silent Night is still my favourite Christmas song. But it conjures up such a peaceful and calm world that it’s easy to imagine Jesus in His divinity, and think of Him as perfect, never peeing or pooping, Mother Mary never facing issues of sleep deprivation, or any of the normal frustrations that a new mother faces.

Christmas Stories You've Never Heard: Like How Baby Jesus Had A Cone Head And Stuff is just the kind of book you need to remind you of what a miracle Christmas is. I read it after Christmas and it helped me to wipe the dust of the ages and see Christmas as I did as a child: with a sense of pure joy and wonder.