Mangalore : India is a land of festivals. Perhaps there is no other nation in the world which celebrates as many festivals as India celebrates.

Christmas, the festival of peace, love, friendship, harmony and brotherhood and which conveys the message of peace and love of Jesus is being celebrated by Christian brethren round the globe. It is a festival wherein each and every Christian rededicates himself to the service of the Lord while remembering the sacrifices made by Jesus Christ for the betterment and welfare of mankind.

Christmas celebration can be meaningful when man understands the message of Jesus Christ in the true perspective and acts according to it. Christmas is one of the most festive and jolly times of year  with various events, performances, decorations, parties and more. Shops are adorned with holiday finery and lawns are lit with strings of tiny bulbs.

Churches in Mangalore offer special service and hundreds of people attend these services and pay their obeisance to Jesus Christ and promise to follow his path.

Christmas celebrations are incomplete without the Kuswar, an assortment  of seven types of eatables including cake and rice laddoos. It is an indispensable part of Christmas and Christmas find joy in distributing Kuswar among friends, neighbours and well wishers, thereby spreading joy and  the sharing of sweets doubling the joy.

Christmas is both a sacred religious holiday and a worldwide cultural and commercial phenomenon. For two millennia, people around the world have been observing it with traditions and practices that are both religious and secular in nature. Christians celebrate Christmas Day as the anniversary of the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, a spiritual leader whose teachings form the basis of their religion. Popular customs include exchanging gifts, decorating Christmas trees, attending church, sharing meals with family and friends and, of course, waiting for Santa Claus to arrive

Christmas also reminds one of Santa Claus and the Xmas tree. Santa Claus who brings gifts galore and distributes them among children, is eagerly awaited.

The man we know as Santa Claus has a history all his own. Today, he is thought of mainly as the jolly man in red, but his story stretches all the way back to the third century he legend of Santa Claus can be traced back hundreds of years to a monk named St. Nicholas. It is believed that Nicholas was born sometime around 280 A.D. in Patara, near Myra in modern-day Turkey. Much admired for his piety and kindness, St. Nicholas became the subject of many legends. It is said that he gave away all of his inherited wealth and traveled the countryside helping the poor and sick.  

The Christmas tree is one of the most popular and cherished Christmas customs and the decorated Christmas tree is a joy to watch.

Let this Christmas bring peace, prosperity and build bridges of friendship between people of diverse faiths. Merry Christmas.