Skip to main content

Memories This Christmas

Christmas involves a magical journey of introspection, reflection and self realization. Picture perfect post cards maybe more tempting but the inner journey is what strengthens the beliefs and adds greater meaning to the occasion.

At times, you may even wonder if the seasonal magic is overhyped but the truth is that by the end of the year, we need to celebrate our new learnings, friendships, experiences and those moments that added so much fun to our life. Christmas packs in the spirit of love. It heralds a new awakening that brings so much joy to our loved ones in the form of gifts and surprises.

This Christmas, the Secret Santa gifts that I recieved from my dear friends in office (Mayank and Priya) made me so so happy. Chocolates, a beautiful stole made from the softest fabric with hints of gold twirls on it, a beautiful Lord Ganesha on a swing and a wooden figurine of Mother Mary brought me so much joy. More than anything, their thoughts that led to the buying of those gifts and actions that pursued my happiness made me feel so loved and pampered. Ultimately, it is love that conquers and melts all barriers.

On Christmas Eve, we sang carols in office with so much energy and love. That was really awesome especially when all of us who sang happened to be non Christians. You don't need to have an official religion to celebrate good occasions and beliefs, do you? That's what spurred us to do what we wanted to do - sing to our heart's content and bring joy to everyone around us.

That isn't all. We had a rockin' office party that started off with so much zest. I had lots of fun and we partied away till past midnight. We shared love and happiness with everyone. Isn't that the meaning of Christmas?

What makes this Christmas unforgettable is that I celebrated it with my son, Adi. We put up a Christmas tree at home and Adi had wanted Santa to give him purple colored gifts. To Adi's surprise, Santa gave him three purple colored gifts! It was so wonderful to share Adi's total delight though he freaked me out when he asked, "Did you put the purple gifts there, Amma?" Celebrating Christmas with Adi has given me and taken me back to many beautiful memories this Christmas. How can I thank my cheeky brat for that? Maybe I should get him more purple colored gifts:)

Wishing you all a very joyous, happy Christmas and a fantastic New Year ahead.

Comments

Harini said…
Merry Christmas to you and Adi...

Btw, You have an award in my blog waiting for a long time to be collected :)
BK Chowla, said…
Mary X'mas and happy new year t you all.
sangeeta said…
so true you said about the self journey at the end of the day....nice to know about your wonderful gifts..
wishing you a happy season too!!

and hey the panjiri you talked in the last post is such a fave at my place...i made it this season too but it is yet to come to the blog !!
Harini said…
Hi Swapna,

You asked the link

http://harini11.blogspot.com/2009/11/if-some-of-you-have-been-wondering.html

you have 2 awards actually :)
oh wow your Christmas sounds lovely and you really caught the spirit of it LOVE Rebecca
Alison said…
Thank you for visiting my blog! Your blog is so cute!
Happy New Year! Celebrations always bring joy. Wishing Adi more purple colored gifts this year :)
Unknown said…
Hi Swapna,

I just went through couple of pages & I must say ur blog is a show stopper, definitely a catchy one!!!Nice Articulated script....Great going...Loved the Idea of celebrating all festivals in spite of being a Non- Christian ...I too have a same opinion...Thanks for stopping by.....

I wish u have a great year AHEAD...

Most Popular Posts

The Ugly Truth about Caste in Kerala

Many years ago, when I wrote this post on Kerala's caste system, I had not considered that people would start sending in abusive comments about one caste over the other. It baffles me that this is how Indians, all of us, continue to judge each other on account of caste differences.  [ READ: Guru Kripa: Powerful Lessons at the Lotus Feet ] My question is - why do you ABUSE any caste or community? I suggest that you read about the lives of great Masters and their stories - none of them judged anyone on the basis of caste.  You can read the life stories of Sri Adi Shankara Bhagawadpada, Tulsidas, Jnaneshwar, Namadev, Sri Aurobindo, Sri Ramakrishna, Swami Paramahansa Yogananda, Shirdi Sai Baba, and many more Gurus in Sanathana Dharma. NONE of them endorse these caste hierarchies in Bhakti Marga. Assuming that Guru Sampradaya does not appeal to your sensibilities, do read this  new book 'Ants among Elephants' written by Sujatha Gidla, who writes about herself as being born

How do you light Deepam at home?

How do you light deepam at home? As a child, I loved watching the ritual of my grandmother lighting the deepam or the traditional lamp at home in the evenings. A sense of serenity accompanied her frail figure as she would carefully straighten every wick, dip it into the tiny puddle of oil and light the lamp. As my grandmother would read out the scriptures and chant the prayers, the fragrance of incense sticks and flowers added depth to the experience. In many Hindu homes nowadays, the lighting of the lamp (or the nilavilakku, as Malayalis refer to the traditional lamp in their homes) is not a regular practice. A lot of people have many questions around how to light deepam at home and which oil to use and so on. An important point to keep in mind - Maintain physical cleanliness and hygiene while lighting the lamp. Wear clean clothes while lighting the lamp. Frequently Asked Questions About Lighting Deepam at Home Collating most queries related to how to light the deepam at home, I'v

7 Am Arivu (the Seventh Sense) - Why it is spiritually relevant

7 Am Arivu (the Seventh Sense) is a film that I was desperate to watch for two reasons. One, I am a Suriya fan and I had heard so much about his performance in this movie that I didn't want to settle for watching a CD of it and losing the actual cinematic experience. Second, I had read from various bloggers and their reviews that this film revolves around the story of Bodhidharman, a 16th century prince from Tamil Nadu who had mastered knowledge spanning multiple forms of art, and was sent to China to save the people from evil. Once he goes there, the transformation begins for himself and for the people there and he  goes on to become Damo, the father of Shaolin and Kung Fu and hypnotism and such other mystical yet spiritually relevant forms of mind mastery. 7 Am Arivu Goes Over the Top with the Dravidian Rhetoric In 7 Am Arivu, there has been a lot of controversy created by the fact that nearly every character eulogizes about the importance of being Tamil and yes, the Dravidi

Tumhari Sulu movie review: Vidya Balan makes you laugh, cry, croon and fall in love with 'Sulu'

I have always looked forward to watching Vidya Balan's films, which is why I watched her latest one, Tumhari Sulu, and decided to share this movie review. I read many reviews which bring in the feminist aspect of the narrative. I want to look at the little details of an ordinary life that are portrayed by Vidya Balan's extraordinary acting.   As ''Sulu'', Vidya Balan breathes life into the character of bubbly housewife, whose life revolves around her husband, son and of course, her favorite hobby of participating in all kinds of contests and winning them with a die-hard spirit.                                          [ Image: Vidya Balan's Facebook page ]                                Vidya Balan's mastery over details comes through in every scene - shooing off birds so that they don't put ''potty'' on her clothes, posing in front of the mirror with the kind of bag that working women use and pretending to be one, and eve

Vidyarambham: How and why Malayalis celebrate writing the words ''Harisree Ganapathaye Namaha"

For Malayalis, Vidyarambham is an auspicious day on which the elders and children mark the day by writing the sacred words, "Harisree Ganapathayeh Namaha." The observance of this ritual may differ from region to region, community to community and family to family. Whatever I share here is based on how vidyarambham is celebrated in my home.   [READ: What is Vidyarambham?] Vidyarambham: How Malayalis observe this sacred day In families where the children are gearing up to enter pre-school or play school and are not yet ready to join the formal schooling system, Vidyarambham marks an important occasion for an elder to introduce them to the world of "vidya" or "knowledge." The words ''Harisree Ganapathayeh Namaha" are written on the child's tongue by the grandparent, an elder or parent.                                        [Image credit: Travel Manorama Online ] Vidyarambham: Why it matters  An interesting aspect of Vidyarambha