Whether it is the stores selling all sizes and dubious botanical varieties of synthetic ‘fir’ trees or star-shaped paper lanterns, or the carol singing and appearances by Santa Claus and numerous winter sales in the shops, there’s no doubt that Christmas is around the corner.
The festive fervour that marks the month of December all over the world, can be felt in Tiruchi too, with Christian congregations of all denominations uniting to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.
A significant birth
“Christmas is significant, because it celebrates a unique birth and life. History has been divided before and after the birth of Christ,” says Father T. Eugene, parish priest of St. Mary’s Cathedral in Melapuddur.
Preparations for the festival start a month ahead, he says, and “through our liturgy, homily and other pious activities, we motivate people to celebrate Christmas meaningfully. We must first purify ourselves, and then think of the needy during this month, not spend everything on ourselves during the celebration.”
St. Mary’s Cathedral, consecrated in 1841, is among the oldest in southern India. The heritage structure, whose vaulted ceilings were painted with Biblical scenes between 1893-1898, is still functioning as a place of worship, though its age showing.
Fr. Eugene has been spearheading the project to replace the old cathedral with a new building, which has an estimated budget of Rs. 13 crores.
Money for the project has been raised with what the cleric terms as “silent advertising, based on Christian faith.” Members of the congregation have been requested to donate sums of money in instalments, and so far, around 80% of the funds required has been raised.
This Christmas, Fr. Eugene hopes people will join in the fundraising scheme for laying the 20,000 square feet cathedral’s marble flooring. “I have great appreciation for people who donate periodically, in any small way, to our project. It’s not my house or their house, but God’s house, and they should be spiritually involved in their decision.
“This year, we should learn from the life of Christ, and share not just the love, but also the blessings in our life with the less fortunate,” he says.
Changing times
In the Church of South India (CSI)-affiliated religious centres, the celebrations follow a common pattern. Carol singers, drawn from all walks of life, are much in demand during the run-up to Christmas. “For around 10 days before Christmas, our choristers go on ‘carol rounds’, where they visit the homes of parishioners, sing, pray and offer greetings,” says Reverend P. Manohar, honorary pastor at St. Mark’s Church in Karumandapam.
“Our carol service, to be held tomorrow will have 22 singers and orchestra participating, where new compositions and old songs will be presented. This will be followed by a fellowship lunch for all members of the church,” he adds.
The ‘tree function’, which highlights the Christmas tree and its decoration, and also serves as a talent showcase for children, was held on December 8.
The Christmas service is to be held at 5 a.m. on December 25, and while “the festive season invites a lot of expenditure on families, even the charity projects of the church go up during this month,” says Rev. Manohar, who also serves as registrar at the Bishop Heber College.
“Technology and commercialisation have changed the way we celebrate Christmas. For instance, we no longer post greeting cards to each other, we just phone or send an e-mail. Earlier, people used to cut down real casuarina trees to decorate at home, now we have shifted to the more eco-friendly option of synthetic Christmas trees.
“But what remains constant in India is that Christmas is seen both as a secular and a Christian holiday. Even now, if go to the rural areas in Tamil Nadu, you can see villages organising sports competitions or other secular celebrations for the public on December 25.”
“Every church and Christian household tries to recreate the scene of Christ’s birth (the Nativity), during Christmas. What we can learn from this is that some of the world’s greatest leaders have been born in the most humble circumstances,” says M. Ruban, Elder of the Palakkarai-based Indian Bible Association Church.
Carols and more
The ‘Carols by Candlelight’ event held last week at the parish hall of All Saints Church, Puthur saw the participation of at least 12 carol groups belonging to all the major Christian denominations in Tiruchi.
The annual event, which attracts large crowds due to its ecumenical nature, was special this year because it marked its golden jubilee.
The first Carols by Candlelight was an open-air event in 1964, and in 2013, the Carollers, Tiruchi, a group with a history of its own (set up in 1942), inaugurated the jubilee celebration.
Charity-oriented projects are commonly undertaken by Christian educational institutions during Christmastime. “Sunday School students of the All Saints Church pool in their savings and visit CSI hospitals, the Spastic Society and juvenile homes with gifts for the inmates,” says Mrs. Meera Pandian, a teacher at the school. “We have been doing this for over 30 years, without a break.”
“Christmas is a time of jubilation,” says Right Reverend Dr. H.A. Martin, the Bishop of Tranquebar, the head of the Tamil Evangelical Lutheran Church.
“It shows us that Jesus Christ is not just for one set of people.”
