The month of December is a beautiful time of the year. It’s the end of a year’s hard work and therefore a time to enjoy and take a holiday. The weather is lovely, there is a chill in the air. Christmas, one of the most celebrated festivals across the globe also falls in the month of December, and of course the await of a New Year, with new hope and plans… the month of December brings in diverse feelings of saying goodbye to the year that is bygone and a feeling of welcoming the New Year!
I have always had a special place for the festival of Christmas in my heart and quite a few reasons for it too. First, is the fact that I had the fortune of studying in St. Joseph’s Convent High School, Pashan, Pune, where I grew up singing Christmas carols, the second being my interaction with students and colleagues from all across the world at Symbiosis. Now, when I travel to different countries and on some occasions in the Christmas season too, I find that the spirit of Christmas just livens the mood and brings a smile on every face. In India too when I walk the streets with my grandchildren, they feel excited on seeing the lighting on the streets or the decorations that we make on the Christmas tree at home.
In a way we teach them that Christmas is as enjoyable as Diwali is, when we put up lights in the house and decorate it and give gifts, it’s with the same spirit that Christmas is celebrated. I feel this is a good way to teach our children about different cultures and how we should respect this diversity and enjoy it together. Love, joy, happiness and family time become of prime importance and everyone joins in these celebrations.
Even at Symbiosis, my father Dr. S. B. Mujumdar who believes in promoting the spirit of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam has practiced celebrating different festivals for more than 50 years now, to bring students from different cultures together. As a small child I have grown up celebrating different festivals like Diwali, Eid and Christmas with foreign students from different countries.
As the year of 2022 draws to an end, let us be grateful for the divine providence that has kept us and our family safe. Let us respect each other’s cultures. Let us believe that the world is one big family and let us seek knowledge and education that imbibes these feelings of compassion and cultural sensitisation so that we welcome the new year with open hearts!