In this cold, Yuletide spirit warms hearts

New Delhi: If Christmas is near, then cakes and carols cannot be far behind. The appeal of joy-filled songs on cold winter nights, the air filled with the fragrance of baking goodies, is part of the Christmas atmosphere. And Delhi is all prepared to partake of the Christmas message of peace and goodwill. Among the pre-Christmas day music events is “Come India, Sing a Christmas Carol” on December 21, hosted by the Lorraine Music Academy and LAMP Trust at Kingdom of Dreams in Gurgaon. “This is the first time we are focusing on carols, but it will be a fantastic audio-visual delight,” disclosed Aubrey Aloysius, founder trustee of LAMP and managing director of Lorraine Academy. In attendance will be political leaders, ambassadors of various countries and bureaucrats. An added attraction will be flash mob on December 23.For more traditional carol singing, there is the Nagaland Conservatory of Music Choir performing at the Cathedral Church of the Redemption and India Habitat Centre in Delhi on December 15 and 17, respectively. “We are taking this opportunity to present people’s favourites like Jingle Bells and Silent Night,” said Lipokmar Tzudir, choral conductor. “We hope the audience will also consider this an opportunity to connect with the Northeast.”Moon as Muse, a poetry club, is organizing an open-mike event called Mistletoe at the Art Mall in Moti Nagar. The Christmas-themed event will have music and carols, poetry and comedy. People can register and share their poems with the audience. “We have also invited 7-8 authors to promote their debut book here,” revealed Sourabh Aggarwal, the event curator.And perhaps in the spirit of Christmas, with its shepherds and farm animals, Delhi is getting everyone to participate. Nine is Mine, a national campaign, is training children from slums or marginalised communities under Viennese actor and producer Andrea Sceska, and will present a Nativity drama, or a play on Jesus’ birth, along with circus art and choir singing at the Edmund Rice Hall basement at St Columbas’ School in New Delhi.And it’s not as if only humans will be enjoying the joys of the season. Get ready to see soulful creatures in red and white caps with wagging tails and a special event organized by dog trainers Woof Woof Walkers at Lodhi Gardens on December 17. “At the event, we will talk about training dogs and there will be Christmas-based games,” informed Poorvaja, a dog trainer. Hungry after singing carols? There are cooking classes for kids and parents adults to mark the festival. Science and Cooking Academy, for instance, will hold a class at its institute in Gurgaon on December 17, where it is teach participants on how to properly season and roast chicken, among other yuletide dishes, for a traditional five-course Christmas lunch. “This is an opportunity for children and their parents to come and see what Science and Cooking is all about as spend quality family time in the bargain,” smiled Ipshita, marketing manager of the academy.