Salim Merchant
Singer and music director
Christmas is a festival that we always enjoy at home. My wife Jeanee and my daughter Ayesha, are excited about it. My wife makes all goodies at home and the boxes of sweets are kept ready, in advance. Every year, we get six-ft-tall tree and decorate it with balls, angels, stars and ribbons and place gifts underneath. We decorate the home with flowers, lights and candles and of course, the mistletoe, and use colourful accessories, to add a sparkle to our home. Christmas is a time for reunions, when one bonds with family and friends. It is a time when the home is filled with festive spirit and love.
Hussain Kuwajerwala
Actor and anchor
My wife Tina and I, love to celebrate festivals like Diwali, Eid and Christmas, as they are all about strengthening bonds with loved ones. We celebrate with family and friends at home. Tina, who is a designer, loves to dress up the home in a special way every Christmas. Last year, she got a mannequin with a Christmas tree gown. We also make a crib with hay, where baby Jesus is surrounded with cattle. We also decorate the house with an inflatable Santa Claus and snowman figures, which we have bought from our trips abroad.
This year, we will be returning home a day before Christmas. Tina will decorate the tree with baubles, fairy lights, mistletoe and flowers. She also enjoys baking and there will be some cake, for sure. Our home has an aura of joy on Christmas day. We are excited, as we will be celebrating Christmas in our new home.
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Suchitra Pillai
Actress and singer
I grew up in Bandra in Mumbai and had many Christian friends. So, I used to attend the midnight mass and Christmas celebrations. At home, I started celebrating the festival, after my marriage to Lars Kjeldsen. I have some great memories of beautiful Christmas celebrations in Denmark with Lars’ mother in the last few years. This year, she is coming to Mumbai for Christmas. My daughter and I love to put up the Christmas tree on our terrace, along with all the shimmering decorations that we have got from Denmark. We plan to put fairy lights on the tree and will make a crib for baby Jesus. We have recently painted our home and Lars has decorated it, to make it look festive, with red and green accessories. For lunch on the festive day, I plan to lay the table with fresh flowers and a table cloth that is hand-embroidered with our initials, which was gifted to us by my mother-in-law on our wedding day.
Longinus Fernandes
Choreographer
My parents believed in the joy of sharing, especially with deprived people. They made it a point to help them during Christmas, as this festival is all about sharing, caring and making others happy.
After the midnight mass, we would check the gifts under the Christmas tree. The festival is also about enjoying the feast and dancing and fun. Earlier, we were a family of six. Now, we are 16 and the more, the merrier. We ensure that all four brothers and their respective families and our mother, meet under one roof each Christmas. This year, the gathering is at my place. As I keep globetrotting, I love collecting decorative accessories and lights from various places. My kids love decorating the tree and the home is done up with green, red and silver colours. Buntings made by my children and candles which my mother has preserved for years, are all displayed and our home is illuminated with lights.
Jennifer Winget
Actress
Going down memory lane, I remember that I would go for carol-singing practice, in the days preceding Christmas. My father, brother and I would decorate the home and the crib, while my grandmother would make Christmas sweets and the entire family would meet over lunch.
This year, I will be celebrating Christmas in my new house in Goa, with my close friends. We will be reaching there a day before Christmas Eve, to put up the tree and decorating the house with Christmas wreaths, candy canes and mistletoe.
I love aromatic candles and I plan to use eco-friendly candles to illuminate my home. Besides going to the church on Christmas eve, I plan to cook a delicious lunch on Christmas day. My dog Breezer, who I consider as Santa’s little helper, will be spending Christmas with us in Goa this year.
Purnima Goswami Sharma is a freelance writer based in Mumbai, who has been contributing to various newspapers, magazines and portals for the last two decades. Besides being a research writer for various TV shows, she has been a visiting faculty at SNDT for Communication Skills. She hold a master’s degree in English Literature from Mumbai University and a diploma in Communications and Journalism. She writes on diverse subjects like real estate, interiors, education, lifestyle, health, entertainment and environment.
Email: [email protected]
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