Christmas celebrations to begin in 'Rome of the East'

Mangaluru: It for nothing that this coastal city is called Rome of the East, It has one of the oldest churches in India in Milagres Church which is over 325 years old, one of the most beautiful Cathedrals in the world in Rosario Cathedral and a true Roman Frescoes painted on the walls and ceilings of the St. Aloysius Chapel by Brother Moscheni - a special messenger of Pope 125 years back. The Roman Catholics in Mangalore are perhaps are as organized a society as it is in Rome and other parts of the Christian world. The spirit of bonhomie and piety they practice has enriched the civic life in Mangalore to a large extent.

"Mangalore has a special place when it comes to celebration of Christmas, apart from Christmas cooking, shopping and Merry making for the family there is a definite bent of charity included in every act of Christmas. "In everything we do from cooking to prayers we keep away some portion for charity, If we are going shopping, we will study what poor people in our neighbourhood need, in many cases we study individually so that they get the maximum benefit of it. It is not a big thing but we feel that the message of Christmas is practiced adequately" says Wilma Aranha of Mangalore.

In almost every family there is a party on Christmas eve or on Christmas day for the poor people, "It need not be poor people belonging to the Christian community but anybody who needs that little bit of attention on this joyous day, we want to make them feel important and wanted on at least this one day. We arranged for a Santa to carry presents in a bag and deliver it to them singing praises of the lord, I remember last year our Santa arrived on a gleaming classic motorcycle which was my husband indeed, the act was so natural and homely that over 50 our guests had a wonderful time. Ladies in my area even today wonder who the Santa was" giggles Ms. Janet Mascrenhas.

In Mangalore and most of the coastal areas every Christian family has one or two of their members abroad, Christmas is the only occasion they come back home on a big holiday. "It is a double joy every time for Christmas when we receive our son Nelson who is working in Canada, how he craves for the Pundi-Pork curry my wife prepares for Christmas!" says Melwyn D'Cunha. Airline companies are flooded with request for reservation during Christmas season. Air India Express which operates many schedules from the Gulf is running full every flight for the last fifteen days.

The Christians in Mangalore have mastered the art of baking just like their European counterparts. Their gooey brownies with Chocolate fudge, platter of Kuswar that has various traditional snacks including Nevrios, Kedios, Gulios, rose cookies, plum cakes and fruits that includes dates, oranges and Nendra Bananas. Christian families send this platter to their neighbours who wait for this platter from their Christian friends during the Christmas time.

This is also the time for the Chrismas cribs depicting the day when infant Jesus was born in Bethlehem, stimulating the trying conditions of that hallowed day 2000 years back. All cribs however small or big do spread happiness. Looking at the infant Jesus in porcelain in the lap of virgin Mary, Joseph standing alongside the Shepherds and a flock of sheep in a ramshackle shack. The figures made of plaster of Paris, porcelain come from Mumbai and Goa while the hut, the water body, the greenfields and other components are put together by the youth in front of their houses and Churches and convents.

Some of the best cribs could be seen in Mangalore. They are laid out in almost all churches and thousands of homes of Christians and in some places even people belonging to other communities have their own cribs. St. Sabastian Church Bendoor, St. Joseph's Seminary in Jeppu, Lady Hill convent in Lady Hill, Milagres Church, Rosario Church, Derebail Church, Urva Church and many Churches all over the district in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi have laid out cribs.

Flossy D'Souza of Urva who has created a crib with the help of her children has this to say 'Cribs helps us to visualize the situation in which Jesus was born, they help us to re-kindle in ourselves the hope that Jesus the savior was here with us.

The Churches in Mangalore have been made ready for the Christmas Eve. All of them have been decorated with serial lights a Christmas tree and blue twinkling lights, the parishioners have taken pains to decorate the churches in many ways. Many Christian families have spent the entire day and night at the Churches decorating their churches and cleaning them speck and shine.

If Christmas is in the air, will the carolers be far behind? A discerning citizen can already hear the tingle of the bells and the guitars and vocals of the carolers. Mangalore which is known as the Rome of the East take its Christmas carols seriously especially when a dedicated group like the `White Doves' is on the helm of affairs. This group with music as their middle name will travel on two decorated trucks in the streets of Mangalore singing and spreading the message and joy of Christmas for the 12th year in succession. Leader of the group Geo D'Silva says the White Doves follow certain philosophy of life which is driven by peace and happiness for all.