Merry Christmas! Curtain raiser

Lokmat News Network

Aurangabad

Christmas day is just a few days away, and the valour and enthusiasm of the people are at their peak. Christmas is the occasion to celebrate the advent of Jesus Christ on the earth. Hence, his birth anniversary is celebrated all over the world on December 25. The city is also all set to welcome the Lord. Various churches in the city started the arrangements and preparations roughly a month back.

The decorations of the churches are in the final stages. They are decorated with flowers and electric lighting.

The main centre of attraction during the Christmas is the decoration of the crib and the Christmas tree in the churches and at houses. In the crib, a tableau of the birth of Jesus is created. The scene of the birth of Jesus is depicted in a manger (a cow shed). The preparations of the cribs are going on at various places. Similarly, the Christmas trees are also decorated with stars, lights, artificial flowers, and other decorative materials.

Whenever we talk about Christmas, the first delicacy which comes to our mind is the various types of cakes and cookies. However, now-a-days, along with cakes and cookies, people also offer Indian sweets like Karanji, ladoos, chaklies, and others. The sweets are prepared at home and distributed to the people by visiting their homes. Similarly, delicacies are also given to the needy and poor people, said the Church sources.

A month before Christmas, people go for prayers every Sunday and offer prayers. On each Sunday, a different theme is kept in the Churches. The themes include joy, mercy, peace, and preparation to welcome Jesus. People confess their deeds, repent and ask for forgiving them.

Message to welcome the Lord

This is an occasion of joy as the people are celebrating the birth anniversary of the Lord Jesus Christ. The preparations began around four weeks before Christmas Day. Prayers are held on every Sunday. The Sunday before Christmas, a carol choir from the Church goes to the houses of the people. The carol singing gives the message to the people that the Lord is coming and they should be prepared to welcome him with enthusiasm, joy, and happiness.

- Fr. Stephen Almeida, Rector, St. Francis De Sales Cathedral.

Youths participate enthusiastically

The youths of the Sunday School of the Church participate enthusiastically and joyously in the decoration of the churches. They are preparing the manger and showcasing a tableau of the birth of Lord Jesus. The Carol Choir is visiting each house in the city for the past week and they pray for the members of the family by singing songs. A culture programme has been organised on December 24 night and prayers will be held on December 25 morning. Youths, children, and senior citizens are actively participating in every part of the celebrations.

- Pastor P D Patil, Pease Memorial Nazarene Church, Cidco.