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Yuletide spirit in Goa

     Panaji/Srinagar/Mumbai/Bhopal: The Yuletide spirit has hit most markets in coastal Goa, with traders and shopkeepers actively promoting the sale of Santa Claus dolls, bright stars, golden bells and twinkling streamers. Celebrating the festival of love and hope, Goans from all walks of life are in high spirits. While kids are roaming the streets carolling, the tourists are saying that the new decorative items in the markets have won their hearts.

    According to tourists coming from various parts of the country, the new decorative items introduced in the markets have won their hearts. "Many people here have told us that they never seen these kinds of decorations, because earlier everybody wanted to visit abroad during Christmas. Now, all that is available in Goa. So, the kind of quality and Christmas decorations exclusive shops we notice abroad only, can be felt in India," said Manikkam, a Chennai businessman. The celebration of Christmas is no longer the preserve of the Christian community. From schools to college hostels, from small markets to big malls, it's Christmas at its best this year. In Srinagar, the bakeries are doing brisk business. There is a big demand for cakes. The tourist inflow to the Kashmir Valley this is huge, and Christmas celebrations have taken new shape. "Before not too many people used to come here, but now we have many tourists coming here to Kashmir and so the demand for such things is growing,' said Altaf, a baker. In Mumbai, Bollywood actor Boman Irani and television presenter Malaika Arora Khan celebrated a pre-Christmas do with cancer patients. The spirits were high and smiles adorned the faces of children who danced with the Bollywood stars. "All these children are cancer patients, and as I said before, I have never seen so many smiles at one place. They were all smiling, they are all happy," said Irani. In Bhopal, tiny-tots celebrated the festival by walking down a ramp dressed in Santa suits ranging from the conventional red to orange, blue and a shocking green.

    The children also danced and sang Christmas songs to mark the occasion. "Today, I am very happy and all the younger children are also very happy. Today, we exchanged gifts, ate pastries and cookies and we participated in a fashion show. We all danced and had a lot of fun. So, we are very happy,' said Nishta, a student Christmas festivities, especially the tradition of gifts being offered Santa Claus, are catching on amid a retail boom. Though most revellers might not necessarily visit a church for prayer, the festival is cherished by one and all.
-Dec 24,  2006

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