India is a land of diversity with assorted cultures, creeds and beliefs. These diversities come to fore, when the feasts and festivals advance. The festivals and feasts add flavor and ingredients to the lives of people. Hence, the saying is substantiated “Life is a Celebration”. Indeed, our lives in India, is imbued with celebrations of different creeds and beliefs.

We arein the season of another celebration, that is Christmas. This is a worldwide celebration. However, my focus is on the tribal-Christian celebration of Christmas in reference to Chotanagpur area, which is a land, nestling many Tribal-Christians. These tribal are faithful to their faith and their celebration of Christmas is incorporated into their own cultural mode.

The preparation of Christmas unfolds in with a new season called ‘Advent’, as believed by all Catholic Christians across the world, meaning “waiting in hope for the coming of their saviour”.

The tribal-Christians set in their preparation with the long held tradition of ‘Advent’. As the season of advent commences, the preparation in the churches and houses also sets in motion. They paint their houses (in the cities and towns), smear their houses and floors with a fresh coat of  mud (clay) in the villages. The most interesting part to sensitize people about the oncoming feast of Christmas or Birth of Christ is carol singing. The carol singing is carried out by the youth of the villages or in some places by elders, youth and children. This is to make people ready and bring people to awareness that they are very close to the celebration of Christmas. In many places, carol ends with Christmas gathering. Christmas gathering is to show a glimpse of birth of Christ and get into the mood of Christmas.

People also prepare sweets like Arsa roti or chini roti, gur roti, khajur roti, nimki, chirka roti, thekuwa roti etc. Women, in the family, also prepare rice beer and other traditional drinks to beef up the day.

The original celebration of Christmas begins with 24^th December vigil mass. People go to church at night with exuberance to meet their spiritual joy of Christmas. The joy of Christmas so fills them, that they jump into dance, thus many people after vigil mass dance (sailo dance) and celebrate the day with Mandar and dholak (dhol). The celebration of joy continues throughout the day by greeting one another in the villages and towns and exchanging the joy of Christmas.

Christmas is a feast that brings peace and joy in the hearts of people. So may this joy of Christmas bring happiness in your lives as well as in your families.  May the peace, joy, and love of Baby Jesus dwell in us all. Merry Christmas to all!

Promila Kujur,

Communicative English with Media Studies-II,

Patna Women’s College, Bailey Road, Patna.

  Christian, christmas