Spirit of X-Mas in Doon Valley

We all are in the middle of the festive season, time when Santa Claus made his way down the chimney or came driving down the sledge. Stockings filled with presents, Christmas trees all lit up with glittering lights, colourful ribbons and shining stars, dancing, partying and merry making, the silent nights are no longer calm and quite. Fun and gaiety is still in the air, with X-Mas celebrations set to be over on Epiphany Day falling on January 6.
Keeping up with the festive spirit, Doon Valley, Mussoorie and its markets are all decorated.One can spot the old gentleman in red with a white flowing beard and twinkling eyes smiling down at you from many a shop windows. The residents including the non-Christians are celebrating the season with enthusiasm.
Says Manisha Pant, a resident of Dehradun, "We celebrate Christmas for the sake of my two children. Anyway it''s fun to celebrate the festival. Christmas has an element of surprise, which makes it a special festival. None of the Indian festivals can match the excitement of getting a gift by Santa. The children also remain creatively busy decorating the home."
Some if its credit goes to the cartoon network for popularising Santa Claus or Saint Nicholas amongst children, bringing with him a sack full of goodies. Though the little ones remain awestruck by the existence of Santa, it''s time for the not so young kids to get Pokemon cards or games, CDs without pleading and coaxing. The parents as middlepersons would sure convey their demands to Santa.
The elders, on the pretext of taking out their children, savour the feel of festivity. The college goers like Kamal Nautiyal, who is doing graduation from Dehradun, freaks out with her friends at local X-Mas carnivals. Some of the residents of this town also celebrated Christmas like last year with a community spirit by holding a community dinner.
However, for Christians like Maurine Smith decorated the Christmas crib and the tree with the religious fervour associated with the festival. Maurine along with her family attended the midnight mass and Christmas feast. The children imbibe from their English medium education, which emphasises the festival as a gentle reminder - be charitable. Almost all schools in the region had a grand Christmas sharing party before the start of the vacation wherein gift hampers were also distributed to poor children.