My Travelogues: Trip down the memory lane with Christmas in Dubai

28 Dec 2015

Trip down the memory lane with Christmas in Dubai

I know this post is a little too late...but then as they say 'it's better to be late than never'. The new year is approaching and here I am talking about Christmas. What Christmas means to an Indian and a Hindu and a Brahmin like me? Nothing at all. But I believe there is nothing wrong in adopting good beliefs or ideas from any religion. Whenever I think of Christmas I go down the memory lane and remember my childhood days.

We did have a Church in our town and I vividly remember the nativity procession that was carried out on every Christmas eve by the small Christian community present in our town. On Christmas day, we friends cycled our way across the town to wish our Christian teachers and friends and relished the delicious cakes and goodies made by them with immense love and effort. (Mind you there was no bakery in our town then and all the goodies were made at home). And yes, we enjoyed singing the Christmas Carols too in our school.

Religion was never an issue in our small township. We celebrated Eid, Baisakhi, Holi, Diwali and Dassera, Christmas and Pateti, and more - all with an equal fervor with our friends and family. During Eid, we would visit our Muslim friends and relished the Biryanis and Seviyan while during Holi the entire town gathered at the Club premises and played with colors and pichkaris. Religion, beliefs and faith never came in the way of our enjoyment and games when we were children. Festivals during my school days weren't just holidays, but it meant celebration and fun with our friends and family. It meant getting up early, wearing new clothes and getting ready for the day ahead filled with lots of activities and social gatherings. All these festivals and events make me take a stroll down the memory lane...and I will keep doing it as I have done many times before because times have changed now. Coming back to the present, now we are responsible adults, with busy jobs and busy schedules and holiday means getting up late, having a late brunch and then going to shopping malls or restaurants. Gone are the days when festivals meant social gatherings and fun with friends and family...Anyways, life goes on and the past is the past...

Talking about Christmas in Dubai. It is a grand affair indeed. As per a data, there are approx 1.2 million Christians in UAE which is highlighted by the fact that all the malls, hotels and major restaurants are adorned with Christmas trees, bells and baubles and Santas entertaining the children. Here are pictures of some Christmas decorations across Dubai during the festive season this year.