A cake mixing party of and by kids was a fun affair at Taj Bengal

The mood was merry as Christmas seemed to have arrived early at Aavya’s Cake Mixing Ceremony hosted by Sundeep Bhutoria, in association with My Kolkata, at Taj Bengal, Kolkata, on November 9. The invitation had urged everyone to wear ‘a dash of red’ and the family — Sundeep, wife Manjari, and daughter Aavya — stayed true to the dress code. The carnival with snack stalls, reindeer decor, a table for cake mixing, jolly music and more set the tone just right

The highlight of the gathering was the cake mixing. Tiny tots as well as the not so young-at-hearts gathered around the long table laid out with dried nuts, fruits, syrups and more. Added to it were dollops of fun. Once baked, the cakes will be distributed among underprivileged children in various institutions

‘The Stirring Ceremony, also called the Cake Mixing Ceremony, historically dates back to the 17th century in Europe. This event marks the onset of the festive season and is typically held sometime in November. The ingredients taken were dry fruits like raisins, prunes, dates, cherries, orange, lemon and nuts like cashews, pistachios, and almonds and after maturation, this is used in the making of a Special Christmas Pudding,’ said K. Mohanchandran (next to Sundeep Bhutoria), senior vice-president - operations at Taj. ‘This year we partnered with young children and the energy in the room was positively infectious (no alcohol was used — lots of honey, spices, maple syrup and juices instead)! All in all, it was a great day of socialising, sharing joy, and coming together in the spirit of the season’

Guests were greeted by two mime artistes who kept the children entertained

Elves dressed in festive colours showed off a few tricks as they blew bubbles and balanced balls on tiny umbrellas

Cake mixing done, a puppet show featuring life-sized dolls of ducks, snakes, rhinos and more was staged. The song-and-dance routine urged the kids (seated on the floor) to ‘be yourself’

Food and snack stalls were set up for the young guests. Popcorn and potato twists to a live pasta counter and an array of sweet treats were on offer

The children could also make their own truffles and take them home or even visit Santa and write their wishes to him, provided they were on the Nice List of course!

Host, Aavya M Bhutoria was elated. ‘My favourite part about this event was the cake mixing. I had fun with my friends while mixing the cake,’ she said

Shayan Munshi and daughter Noa were seen having a ball with the mime artistes. ‘This has been so wonderful, I feel like I have become a child again. My daughter and I are having a blast and we are looking forward to the other performances,’ the actor saidd

Tolly couple Gaurav and Ridhima Ghosh also dropped in with son Dheer. ‘It is Dheer’s first time here and he is very surprised to see so many kids running about. He couldn’t take part in the cake mixing because he’s too young,’ said Ridhima. ‘He’s too tiny at the moment but I’m sure as he grows up he will surely enjoy it,’ Gaurav added

Esha Dutta, co-owner of Burnt Garlic, joined in the fun, sporting a Santa hat