His memories of Christmas are of snow and bristling winters. But Romanian Dorin Stratan, in India now as a consultant working at a KPO in Delhi, is not feeling ?Christmasy? yet. He is determined to celebrate an Indian Christmas. For which even the Delhi winter is not geared up, he feels. So he will trudge up further north to Auli, and with a pair of skis go skiing down the snowy slopes, to ?feel? Christmas.
A number of expatriates in India choose to celebrate Christmas here instead of winging back home to family and friends. For some like Michael S Owens, consul general, US Consulate, Mumbai, it is about bringing in Christmas in every new country that he has been posted to. ?That makes it so much memorable,? he says. His Mumbai home is done up with holly, mistletoe, and there are tubs of poinsettia all over the house. A Christmas tree occupies pride of place in the living room and the smell of cookies and pudding is redolent here. ?We have carried our Christmas tree and the many, many decorations that we have added to our collection to all the countries we have been to,? relates Owen. The cakes, cookies and the sweets are made. Now, Owens and his wife are awaiting the arrival of their son and daughter, who are in the US for their studies, so that the family can decorate the tree fully.
Festive Spirit
Christmas parties are thrown weeks in advance in the West. Most expats moan the lack of it in India. The several reminders to Christmas Day is missing, say some of them. Andrew Holland, Director and Head, Strategic Risk Group, DSP Merrill Lynch remembers the ?many greeting cards? he would receive in December, as a run-up to Christmas. ?There would be many office parties, besides the rush for shopping for family and friends. It is cold too back home,? says the Englishman. ?In Asia, Christmas is not a big festival as it is in the rest of the world. The holiday spirit is big there, but I am not complaining at all,? he is quick to add.
Though India is a multi-cultural country, Christmas is definitely more prominent in western countries, feels Mark Langhammer, managing director, Crocs India Pvt Ltd. ?The festive spirit is apparent through the traditional elements such as Christmas carols, gifts for family and friends, stylised stockings on the mantle of the fireplace, red-nosed reindeer and of course traditional meals are missing.?
In India, most often it is the malls that announce the arrival of Christmas with Santa Claus and tinsel adorning its interiors. That is a welcome sight, for many. ?The Christmas mood in the air in Pune, where I am currently working, cannot be compared to the spectacle and festivity that I have witnessed in France, Thailand or China, where I come from,? observes Zou Yi (Chris), Manager-Business Development ? Corporate Marketing, KPIT Cummins Infosystems Limited.
The atmosphere here just does not match up to the Christmases spent home in Australia, moans Sharon Harvey, director, Gold Coast Tourism Corporation. ?There are no Christmas sales as such here and only a handful of decorated shop windows. Early December signals the time to let down the hair in the corporate world in the West. You see shoppers every where, Christmas lights, trees ? it is just in the air. Why, even our conversation ends with ?Merry Xmas?. I don?t know when I said it at all this month here,? she remarks.
Indian Christmas
No matter how ?low key? the festivities in the neighbourhood, it is not really a dampener, for expats say that they ?choose? to be here for Christmas. ?I could go back home with my husband,? says Harvey, ?but we would rather celebrate it here for we will still be able to celebrate Christmas back home, but not as many here in India.?
Christmas then is the time to call over Indian friends and celebrate, which is what Chennai-based Jone Yuan, Marketing Head, TCL India Holdings will do. He has planned his Christmas day. ?I will spend the day with some new friends which include Indians and some from my home country, who work with me. ?
Like Stratan, many make a trip to other places in India and combine a vacation with the traditional festival. ?Since we got here, we have been planning on visiting the Taj Mahal,? says Yi. This Christmas, Agra is where Yi and his fellow Chinese friends are headed to. Owens and his family take a vacation the day after Christmas. ?Last year, we went to Kerala and this time, we plan to see Rajasthan.?
So what if the family is not close, strangers can become ?good companions?, feels Harvey. She and her husband, Mark are headed to Varkala beach, Kerala. ?We were there last year too. We celebrated it with strangers ? people who had come to the hotel to enjoy their Christmas holidays. It is a different Christmas from what we are used to, but it is nice to be sitting on a table with complete strangers and leave at the end of the meal as acquaintances.?
Traditional Food
With the world having come to India, food is the least of the worries for most expatriates. ?Everything is available here now,? remarks Holland. Owens says he has a traditional American meal at home and also at the restaurants. ?Turkey, plum pudding, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, apple pie, pumpkin pie ? there is nothing to complain about with regard to food here,? says Owens, reeling off the list of traditional Christmas eats.
No matter what is available in the restaurants, it is not the same as ?home food? feels Yuan. ?I am going to miss my family and the authentic Cantonese food cooked at home.? Traditional meals have been eaten aplenty. Now is the time to eat something different, feels Langhammer. ?Christmas meal is usually roast turkey, cookies, fruit cake, ginger bread, hot chocolate and pies. But I am in India and would rather eat Indian food.? It is not that he will experiment during this most festive occasion. ?My favourite is makhani dal and tandoori chicken with fresh hot tandoori rotis .?
A Christmas Gift
The choice of sending innovative gifts from India excites many. ?If I was in Romania, I would have given gifts which my friends and family wanted. Being away from home, I can choose some Indian gifts for my family and friends, ?says Stratan. When one is away from home, it is better to send memories of your new home to your family. Langhammer has his gifts mentally wrapped. ?I will pamper myself and my friends in India, besides sending some traditional Indian gifts for my family such as Pashmina shawls and stoles, and maybe even a small replica of Taj Mahal.? When in India, it must be elephants for sure. Laughs Harvey, concurring, ?of course. I will send elephants and Indian fabric home to my family.?