CHRISTMAS TIME IN KGF..2

Christmas had its own gaiety and charm in KGF. All the Anglo-Indian homes were always beautifully decorated with colorful paper streamers, buntings, Chinese lanterns, balloons, etc. Every home put up a huge Casuarina Christmas tree that was decorated beautifully. In those days there were no plastic or synthetic Christmas trees and hence every family put up a Casuarina Tree. A huge drum or Flower Pot was filled with sand and the Casuarina Tree was placed securely in it.

The Christmas tree was always placed in a prominent place in the drawing room and was beautifully decorated with fairy lights, tinsel, colourful baubles, sliver and gold paper, and little China Ornaments. The Angel would be fixed on top of the tree, while the other tree ornaments and decorations were placed at intervals interspersed with gold and silver streamers and tinsel. Some of the Christmas decorations were saved over many years and were lovingly hung on the Christmas Tree each Christmas. Cotton wool was liberally placed on the branches to look like snow. The family’s Christmas gifts were usually placed under the tree and opened only on Christmas morning. Of course there was much excitement and mirth while the decorating was in progress and the children could hardly wait to open their Christmas gifts.

Besides the Christmas tree, every family put up a Crib without fail. The Crib was always placed in a prominent spot, sometimes beside the Christmas tree. It was normally made with straw or grass, cardboard, brown paper etc. The children used their imagination to create their own Crib and would innovate each year. The statues of Baby Jesus, Mother Mary, St. Joseph, the shepherds, the sheep, the three kings, etc, would be carefully removed from their cotton wool packing and loving placed in the Crib. Baby Jesus was placed in the Crib only after Midnight Mass and the three kings and the camel on the 4th of January.

Every Home would also hang a star with a light bulb fitted in it in front of their homes. Some times,people made their own huge paper stars out of thin bamboo sticks and kite paper or else they just bought the stars from the shops selling Christmas decorations..

The Christmas holidays usually began on the 20th December and the schools would reopen only after the first week of January. The children were on hand to help with the preparation of the Christmas Treats and also with decorating the house. There was always much fun and frolic when all of them got together in this happy task