A Brizzy Christmas

 

A white tree in a shopping mall in the City Centre 

Its Christmas season in Brisbane (Surprise…Surprise!! – The objective reader is not wrong if he concludes that the author of this blog is a tad bit looney – stating obvious facts!!) Humour me a little my friend – I am a fascinated Hindu watching a primarily Christian nation celebrate Christmas for the first time. Coming from a background where December end was looked forward to merely because it was just another holiday, it is a pleasant change to see it take on some significance! So, lets start afresh….Its Christmas season in Brisbane – I wish that I could say that it is a white Christmas, but being in the Southern Hemisphere does have its own perils where climate is concerned! Oh dear….I do tend to wander off an awful lot, don’t I? Anyways, its a summer Christmas here in Brisbane – and a very interesting one at that!

Apart from the mega festivities and huge decorative Christmas trees that one sees in every shopping mall and office complex worth its posh glass exterior – products of commercialization of traditional celebrations – I try to look for other visible signs of the season. It is tough to look beyond the obvious huge sales and charity balls, but I am a resilient soul!

I see women in the central business district, lugging bunches of greeting card envelopes to the mail box, and dropping them into the slot with a grateful sigh – their hands and lips sore from sticking many a stamp down firmly! Outside the shopping malls, men sit in coffee houses and rue their bank balances while their partners tick off gifts on their shopping lists. On the train home, I see fascinated adults, pull out little toy dolls from their recent purchases and examine their accessories with what can only be termed as rueful delight!

Streets are lit up and neighbours compete with each other to be the best decorated in the suburb. Little fairy lights, glowing candy bars and gleaming santas of all sizes beckon you! Families pile up in cars and go inspecting the lighting and decorations of other houses – dropping a handful of coins in little charity jars along the way.

I see lots of families in the Botanical gardens – each one spanning a minimum of three generations – picnicking, playing ball, having lazy wine brunches and celebrating the annual event of their togetherness! Church services at the next – door cathedral suddenly seem to be attracting snaking lines of cars – maybe the season induces a heightened sense of piety in people! The local supermarket is giving away free recipe cards on making roast turkey in minutes, ideal quantities of ham per person and how to make the perfect cranberry sauce. Not to mention, that these cards are placed enticingly near the ingredients that they bear!

Unlike India, while Christmas is an occasion for the family, it does not necessarily have to take place at home. There is a sense of expected excitement in the air, as people make plans to getaway with family members for a much needed two week breather! In the office, we have our own little celebration – I have my first experience at dressing a tree – one of P’s clients tells me the story of the Nutcracker doll, as I hang the adornment on the little fern. We write up our own set of cards and make little boxes of candies for our clients. A week in advance we even have a grand dinner party at – hold you breath – an Indian restaurant!

      Ready for Christmas dinner with the Office guys!

While Christmas in Brisbane does not have the same splendid babble of an Indian festival – the anticipation in the air itself encourages you to celebrate and make merry! As I unwrap unexpected gifts of scented candles and relishes, I yield to spirit of Noel and just have a good time!