Santa Minus Banta

Merry Christmas to one and all who read this post (and don't). It's funny when you think about the fact that we Indians are such a sentimental race of people. When the US Economy plunges into disaster... so do we; when the World Trade Center gets hit...we feel the pain; when Obama gets elected...we celebrate; when it's Christmas...we spread the cheer.

Maybe it's this quality that keeps us apart from the rest of the world. The constant habit of wondering and being worried about what's going on in our neighbour's house as compared to our own has kept us going strong into this new millenium. Aping the West has truly never been more apt and truer to use in the sense of the word.

Anyway, coming back to the topic - there are certain things I like about Christmas. Here's a list of things I love about this time:

• I especially like the fact that it's a holiday and I can get out from bed when I feel like and not because of the compulsion of going to work. 
• I love the fact that there's something special in the air around this time and New Year's. 
• Noone works... everyone is planning a holiday or a visit back home.
• Bagging the last minute shopping deals meted out by every store (and industry) in the world.
• Great Bollywood, and where available, Hollywood releases.
• This song - Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree. Might be a little late in the post, but let this song keep playing in the background while you read this post and you'll know what I'm talking about.
• The cold (unless you're in Mumbai or the Southern Hemisphere).
• The concept of Santa Claus.
• The excitement in Convent Schools where everyone is scuttling around to produce a play, sing Christmas carols, and get to eat cake at the end of it all.
• Schools/colleges breaking for Christmas and the New Year.
• The fact that we're only 6 days away from yet another Holiday.
• And finally, the belief that all that is good and fun originated in India (including Christmas) as wonderfully portrayed by this video.

Things I feel could be better about Christmas:

• Loud, blaring music from speakers (esp in Gurgaon - yuck!) belting out songs such as 'Zara Zara Touch Me Touch Me Touch Me', 'Jee Karda Bhai Jee Karda', at unbearable volume levels.
• People getting drunk unnecessarily and blaming it on the spirit of the times.
• Indigenous Radio channels converting 'Jingle Bells' into 'Jingle Beliye' (in Punjabi - beliye = lover).
• Elves of this sort (wait for the video to reach the fag end)
• Stupid kids expecting, nay demanding, that latest, hippest mobile phone device from Santa Claus (read parents).

Well - to each his own. Have a Merry Christmas!

~ H0 Ho Ho Hef.