Christmas brings spirit of joy and togetherness: Reba Monica John

For actress Reba Monica John, Christmas has always been her favourite time of the year. “I have amazing memories associated with it since childhood. I studied in a convent school, and growing up, Christmas was big for me,” she says.What did she look forward to during Christmas? The list is long. “I always looked forward to the carol singing, having Christmas dinner before going to church, with all the amazing food my mom would make, delicious plum cakes, the fragrance of wine, the decorations, setting up the tree, dressing up to go for the mass,” she says, adding, “When we were younger, we used to meet cousins during the Christmas holidays in Kerala, and spend time with grandparents, too. After the passing of our grandparents, it became just the immediate family. It’s a beautiful time of spirituality, togetherness, and celebration — to love, laugh, and eat great food.” Growing up, Reba’s countdown to Christmas started as early as November. “As soon as we enter the month of November, we start our countdown to Christmas. The moment it’s December 1, we are ready to put up the star. We take our Christmas tree and crib out. It’s about us siblings sitting down and setting it up. And shopping for Christmas, getting the best plum cake in town to give out to friends and family… things like that — I would call all of these my favourite Christmas traditions,” she recallsAn active part of her church choir while growing up, Reba would often sing during the Christmas mass. “Going to church to practice with the choir and later singing for the mass was something I always looked forward to.”Reba’s carolling memories involve visiting houses — singing and praying there. She shares, “Since we are staying in Bangalore and I go to a Latin Church, carolling was not as popular a part of the ritual as it is for Syrian Catholics, which I am. When I was much younger, I remember going to homes, singing carols and praying at people’s houses… and eating great food at the places we visited.”Reba feels the message of Christmas transcends religion. “Irrespective of religion, everybody comes together during Christmas, wanting to celebrate… whether it’s hosting Christmas at home or going to a friend’s place or a family member’s house, even if it’s just putting up a Christmas tree, listening to Christmas music, or watching a Christmas movie with family. It’s the spirit of joy and togetherness that Christmas brings,” she says.