'Trees Are Green, Evergreen!'
This line is an old kiddie joke where some lady’s name was “Teresa Green”, which, of course, brought a laugh to our baby faces. And that joke, I believe, remains evergreen like the pines we emulate every year. Emulate and simulate because pine trees don’t grow wild in Kolkata; we are driven to Free School Street and New Market to purchase the trees grown from plastic and tinsel – foldable ones and trees that can be dismantled branch by branch and can probably be used next year, storage permitting.
Christmas trees for sale outside New Market this year Soumyajit Dey
In our young days, and through the Enid Blyton years, we read and heard about “trimming” the trees – not what the KMC does after a cyclone, though. This trimming is called “decorating” by plebeians. It meant a whole new world of festooning the tree with baubles (now known as glass balls), streamers, metal twisters that spun in the breeze, woollen Santas, reindeer, snowmen, enticingly packed gifts and exploding bonbons. And lights of course – from the good old string lights to the fancy, Chinese LED sets available in Chandni. And let’s not ignore the “snow” that is so scarce in Kolkata that we simulate it with cotton or spray it on from a can! Then, to top it all, there was either a Christmas Star or the Herald Angel placed atop the highest spike. This trimming was usually done on the eve of Christmas before the Christian families left for Midnight Mass. Some people do it much earlier and it’s accompanied by singing and tasting the ginger wine in liberal doses.
‘Trimming’ meant festooning the tree with baubles, streamers, metal twisters, woollen Santas, reindeer, snowmen, enticingly packed gifts and exploding bonbons. And lights, of course Karo Christine Kumar
Trees by any other name
But ‘Christmas Trees’ is also used as a sort of collective noun for kids’ parties around Christmas, usually on a December weekend. Weekends keep running out in December – and every weekend is packed with either Christmas Tree parties or School Sports Days! So, there’s the Church Christmas Tree, the Club Christmas Tree, the Christmas Tree for the Underprivileged or the Aged or just about anyone who wants to celebrate Christmas. All these Trees have some things in common – fun, food, gifts and Santa.
Back in the day, when Uber and Ola weren’t around, we kids had to choose one Christmas Tree for the season. For my kids, because we had wheels, we were able to drop by the Church Parish Tree early in the afternoon, then dash across for the Club Tree, which was a couple of hours later. The kids were thrilled when the clubs and churches dovetailed their Trees over different days and times. They got an overdose of Santa, “presents”, and goodie bags to take home.
For kids, Trees over different days and times meant an overdose of Santa, ‘presents’, and goodie bags to take home Shutterstock
The tea’s in the bag
The goodie bags, of course, were in addition to the sumptuous “tea” which involved all sorts of confectionery, savouries, plum cake, a cool drink – but no tea. The goodie bags also housed the “loot” that the kids could gather from the “khoi bags” which were a much-loved and standard event of the day. Plastic whistles, metal ‘frogs’, unfurling hooters, erasers, chocolates, tops and those little circular ‘ball-bearing mazes’ that kept us engaged for hours. In the past, the kids sat at tables and were served with enticing food – the remainder was packed into bags to take home. In some Trees these days, the children pick up their pre-packed food boxes and head to anywhere to open and eat. The former format allowed kids to chat to each other, exchange items they didn’t want, and generally socialise. But it was difficult to organise, especially with the veg and non-veg divide!
Santa branches out
Santas come in all shapes and sizes, but the masks from the market remain that image of a white, rosy cheeked, white-bearded man from the North Pole TT Archives
The city’s social clubs would do well to market their members as Santas. The ones you see on the streets tend to be less than rotund and definitely not as ho-ho-ho happy as the ones employed in the various Christmas Trees.
Santas come in all shapes and sizes, but the masks from the market remain that image of a white, rosy cheeked, white-bearded man from the North Pole. Did you know that there was once a Mrs Santa? The number of children receiving Elven Gifts at one Tree was so large that the committee decided to introduce Mrs Santa (no beard) at another spot to manage the older kids. There is no limit to ingenuity. I have seen Santas arriving on foot, with their sacks full of goodies, ringing a bell and desperately avoiding the hordes of kids who want to yank goodies from the sack. I have seen Santas arriving by car, by horse-carriage, by hand rickshaw made to look like a sleigh with the rickshaw-walla done up a little like Rudolph. The best ever was a lithe young Santa who zip-lined down into the Christmas party, sweets accidentally strewn from a badly handled sack, and terror written all over his face. I have not seen Santa come down a chimney with Dancer and Prancer and that gang in the parking lot.
Selfies with Santa
Kids crowd around and take photos with Santa, at a Kolkata celebration TT Archives
Various hoarse versions of Jingle Bells prompted by the emcee, a little carol singing to bring in Santa and it is gift time. This is usually the highlight of the Christmas Tree. Santa’s little helpers appear with extended lists of names, which usually start with the babies and move up the age range. The little ones take a bit of time as the mommies have to come, armed with mobile phones, dump the screaming toddler into the lap of the old fat man with the long grey beard while yelling “Smile!”. Then come the knowing pre-teens, who talk to Santa. Very often, the conversation goes like, “Uncle, I know that’s you under the mask”. “Shoo, don’t tell anyone else”. Frustration begins to grow among the helpers as they call out the names of the “woke” teens. Sneering at the idea of getting gifts from Santa they vanish just before their names are called, embarrassed to be there, but secretly wanting the gifts. Post Santa’s departure, they will line up to claim theirs. In at least one club I know of, gifts are to be collected from specially formulated counters without a Santa present!
It is sweaty work for Santa inside those pillows, cap and beard. Some Santas require to have an energy drink during the process, lovingly administered through a straw, no less! Despite not having to decide the gifts from his naughty and nice list, Santa has to hand them out. In some Trees, all the gifts are purchased in bulk according to age levels. In another, there is one from the association and one from the real Santa at home! This leads to a little envy as kids tend to open their gifts in front of friends. But all is forgotten in the excitement and joy of the season.
Trees that care
I would be failing in my duty if I did not acknowledge the joy of giving that comes with the various Christmas Trees for the underprivileged and senior citizens. Organisations take out campaigns to support these activities. Seniors are most happy to have some fun together, singing, dancing and receiving useful gifts like blankets, warm clothes, mugs and water bottles. Several children’s NGOs send their kids to specially arranged Christmas Trees run by social clubs and parishes. But the one I really think means the most is the Christmas Tree in which the members’ kids and the less privileged kids sit together at the table and eat, play games together and receive gifts from Santa according to their age. This is an inclusive Christmas, acknowledging diversity without broadcasting. May their tribe increase!
The author is a Goan living in Kolkata and a learning and development consultant who plays music, writes blogs and teaches whenever he can.