Santa Singh Becomes Santa Claus for NRIs

Santa Singh has become Santa Claus for NRIs visiting Punjab this Christmas. NRIs visiting India during this festive season will observe a clear 'Christmassy' spirit in the cities and towns of North and Central India instead of West, South and North East India as in the past.

The global village and international trade has made Christmas a two-way affair. Indian handicraft exporters have been earning millions of dollars by exporting Christmas gifts and decorations to the West for many decades. This year, Indian diamond jewelers have exported crosses, and cross pendants and Christmas rings in tens of thousands. Major chain stores in the West are selling these pieces studded with diamonds - all made in India. Generally, the demand has mostly been for diamond-studded crosses that cost between $99 and $1,000. In the other direction, cheap Chinese exports of Christmas trees and decorations in bulk into India coupled with the influence of 24-hour TV channels have made this festival more popular in Central and North India.

Visiting NRIs will see Christmas trees and decorations on sale at many toys and general shops. Santa with his sackful of gifts peeps from many show windows and Christmas caps are sold at many traffic lights for people to get into the mood. Christmas in North India has been promoted more by traders than the church. Now with cheap Chinese decorations flooding all markets, everybody wants to celebrate it in the proper style as part of the global village.

Just a few years ago, it was only the smart set all dressed up in their evening wear going to Christmas and New Year parties at five star hotels. No more. Now the middle class folks also want their own Christmas tree all lit up in their drawing rooms with a suitably decorated plum cake and lots to eat and drink. Even in the lower income markets across North India, one can see nagging children pushing their mothers to buy them a small, decorated tree.

Last year, in Ludhiana, for example, a roly-poly Santa arrived on an open horse carriage instead of a sleigh and was preceded by a band playing Bhangra music. Dressed in brilliant red suit and knee length black boots, he was ringing a bell and shouting "Hoo, Hoo" but after some time he forget the traditional greetings and switched to "Balle, Balle" as he distributed sweets to the flocking children around him. It was good fun for the children and the parents and good profits for the traders who organized Santa's visit as Jingle Bells played at full volume from their shops decorated with motifs of mistletoe. Of course, the main markets are all lit up before Christmas until the New Year, as it is good for business.

All Christians who mostly live in West and South India have celebrated Christmas in the proper manner. In Mumbai, Goa, Kerala, Chennai, Bangalore and the North East States with a large Christian especially Roman Catholic and population, it is more religious. They start preparing for weeks for the big day by buying new clothes, presents and decorating their homes. A few days before Christmas, young boys sing choirs from door to door. On Christmas Eve, they go for the Midnight Mass followed by a Christmas Ball at their social club or a family dinner at home. Christians NRIs celebrate Christmas with an Indian touch in their unique manner all the world with religious services in their mother tongue, traditional Indian food and song and dance.

Over the centuries, Christianity has acquired many Indian nuances. In a church in Chennai, you can see Indian motifs like peacocks and lotus flowers on the altar of 'Guru' Jesus. In West India, Santa Claus peeps in a Rangoli Design for Christmas. Indian classical musical instruments are used to sing hymns and other religious songs by sari-clad worshippers.

If African music can enter the American society through Church music to become mainstream American music and then global music, now it's the turn of Indian music to take the same route. A music album of Christmas songs in Tamil has been released by Tamil Maiyam. Many Indian traditional instruments such as Veena, Sitar, Kanoon, Bamboo Flute, Mridangam, Nadaswaram, Tabla and Violin have been used to provide Carnatic classical and folk music for songs like Silent Night, O Come All Ye Faithful, Long Time In Bethlehem and Jingle Bells.

As the Tamils have shown the way, can the Punjabis be left behind? With Bhangra music catching on in the West in a big way, Santa Singh may well join Santa Claus by next year to render a few carols in a top selling album and shout "Meri (my) Christmas!"