What December means to me!

The month of December always brings forward a mixed bag of feelings in my mind! On one hand I feel the beginning of an end – the year gone by – and find myself reflecting on my past… how the year has been… did I do something fruitful… what did I gain or lose… was I able to achieve my goals or even come close… was I able to fulfil my aspirations… did I carry out my responsibilities well… how was my social life… my family, friends, near and dear ones… were they around or was I too engrossed in the mundane chores of life… Am I taking care of my health or ignoring it largely on account of my busy and hectic lifestyle… so on and so forth. It is a time to take stock of things and gear up for the future, the new year, with added vigour and increased aspirations.

However, on the other hand, the month of December heralds love, happiness, companionship and merry making! Yes, it is the harbinger of the Christmas fever and a forerunner to the countdown for the New Year… and above all… for the last four years… it is the month when my lovely wife and I celebrate our anniversary!

The Christmas fever has gripped the whole University with mega festivities; the awesome Christmas lighting ceremony, the Christmas markets and fairs in town, mince pies and mulled wine; it is all there. I do remember Christmas last year as if it were just yesterday. We had a Christmas lighting ceremony… but yes, it was on a much much larger scale this year with the whole University students and staff present… and guess what I missed it all!

Christmas is celebrated with much fanfare in India with midnight masses in the churches and lots of cakes and not to forget our dear Santa (for the children!). But my appreciation of Christmas did change a lot last year when I was at the University, all thanks to the team of Friends International for regularly conducting events and talks about British culture, and also the Christian societies at the University… be it the Student Christian Movement, the Catholic Society, or the Christian Union. My concept of God and Jesus did undergo a paradigm shift as I got an opportunity to attend the talks arranged by the CathSoc at the University. I am religious by nature, a pious Hindu, but I realise and understand the importance of multifaith divinity. Therefore, the whole series of events – the talks and group meetings of Friends International, the Christmas supper at the Methodist Church on Burgess Road, the visits to the University chaplaincy – led to me moving towards a new diaspora, and added a different dimension to my already existing multivariate personality. Once again, it is the true global spirit that exists at university which can give you such an exposure. And I was not alone… there were so many of us from the Asian community who were experiencing a different Christmas for the first time in our lives last year.

Whilst it was an exhilarating feeling of witnessing and being a part of a different Christmas at the University, I missed my wife a lot as she was not around last year on our anniversary which also falls in the month of December. Our anniversary was celebrated at my flat in the company of my friends. We played a few games and had a delicious spread of Indian food. There was no exchange of gifts with my wife last year but a silent promise to be together for years to come.

Lovebirds - all smiles for the camera

However, this year we were together for our anniversary and did celebrate it with style and in the company of family and friends in Delhi. The city of Delhi is gearing up for the Christmas vacations and festivities… although I am badly missing the University and friends back there for all the good times and fun we have had. At the end of the day, you win some and you lose some… that’s how life goes and can I shout at the top of my voice… Guys I am coming back soooooooooooooooon!

Rohit