Khanal habitually starts her Christmas mornings by waking up her two sons, Sakar and Safal, to explain the significance of the holy day. “They are young and so I try to teach them the importance of Christmas,” she says and adds, “I want them to understand why they are receiving gifts.” Khanal then sings a few Christmas songs with her boys before heading to church. “I feel so happy to attend; when I go to church, all my worries and troubles disappear and I feel overjoyed to be with my church family,” she says.
The Christmas service at Areopagus normally comprises of carols, prayer, praise and worship, perhaps even a skit and members of the congregation dancing and singing. “I wanted to take part in this year’s service but I don’t think I’ll have the time,” she says. The entertainment and festivities are followed by the sermon, and the day’s event concludes with a large banquet for church members, their families and friends. Khanal usually enjoys Christmas but laments the absence of her husband who has been working in Dubai for the last five years. “This year he’s celebrating with his church in Dubai,” she says and adds, “But next year, he’ll be home, and Christmas will be even better with the whole family.”
TOGETHER WITH SANTA: Earlier this week, children from Harsha Home, who currently study at St. Xavier´s School pose for a group phoot with Santa as a part of their Christmas celebrations. Harsha Home is a hostel for underprivileged students.Dipak Shakya
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This festival is not new among Nepal’s Christians. The root of Christmas lies in Christianity, “Christmas is to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ since he came to save sinners and to provide salvation to the world,” sums up Pastor Mangalman Maharjan of Patan Church.
He simply states that it is a summation of John 3:16 from the Bible which reads, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”
The foundation of Christianity hinges on the belief that Jesus Christ is the Savior who has come to provide salvation and redemption to all. Christ being the cornerstone of the religion, it is no surprise that his birth is the most celebrated festival in local and global Christian communities.
Being a commemoration that transcends centuries, there are old and new traditions concomitant to Christmas. Popularly known customs comprises Santa Claus, Christmas trees, stockings, decorations and the giving of gifts. These traditions, however, are not rooted in Christianity, nor are they mandatory as they vary according to families and belief systems.
Dr Nastu Sharma, who works in the health sector and occasionally teaches at KU, has been a Christian for over thirty years and says, “My wife and children decorate the house and put up a tree but we don’t give presents specifically for Christmas.” According to him, Christmas is double-faceted; the fun factor where he is able to spend time with family and friends, and the other component being the celebration of Jesus’ birth. As Pastor Maharjan states, it is more common for the celebration to center around the Church for Nepali Christians.
Those outside of the Christian community have impressions that are vague and border on inaccurate. Safik Iraqi, 23, a native of Nepalgunj, has grown up Muslim and understands Christmas as “the biggest festival for Christians as Eid is for Muslims.” While that is an acceptable comparison, Iraqi is uncertain about other details. Although he does not know why it is celebrated, he assumes, “People go to church, they pray, have some program, have a carol party,” he laughs and adds, “And they eat pork,” entirely missing the Christ factor of Christmas.
Pujan Bajracharya, Operations Manager at Calsoft Systems has a Buddhist background and has heard about Christmas mostly from the media and TV. “My idea of Christmas was gifts,” he says. Being unaware of Jesus, he adds that his family somewhat celebrates Christmas but only by preparing special food. As far as Bajracharya is concerned, “for the non-Christian Nepalis, it’s another reason to party. In the West, it’s equivalent to Dashain/Tihar in Nepal.”
Besides the Christian aspect, there is an altogether different approach to Christmas that has taken root in Nepal. “There’s the religious side, but besides that, there’s also the business angle,” says Phanindra Raj Pandey, owner of Green Organic Café in Thamel. Although Pandey does not subscribe to any one religion, he respects all and has been decorating his restaurant since it was established in 2004. “I don’t decorate for any other festival,” he says, but explains, “I do it because most of my customers are foreigners. Without Christmas decorations, they don’t enjoy themselves as much – they like to have something to relate to from their homes.”
While Pandey has made a good business move, there are others who are also profiting from the Christmas boom. “In the last three years, there’s been a 50% increase in sales of Christmas products,” says Anil Kumar Jalal, Director at Hallmark, Jawlakhel. Having held his post for thirteen years, Jalal has an easy explanation for the rise, “As population increases, so do sales.” He believes the rise in the market can be credited to the growing population as well as the spread of Christianity.
Although Hindu, Jalal recognizes that Christmas is a Christian event, and he attributes most of the purchases in the earlier days to the churches in the Jawlakhel/Patan area as well as the large population of expatriates. “These days, though, just because someone buys something for Christmas, you can’t assume they are Christian,” he says of the increase in Nepali customers.
Perhaps the store that has been endorsing Christmas the longest is Dhukuti at Kupondol. Bishnu Shrestha, who has been the manager for over two decades, is Hindu and explains the annual Christmas display window as simple advertising. “Dhukuti has always sold gift items, I felt like we needed to market our products,” he claims. So for over twenty years, he has been drawing in customers to his 100% Nepal-made products. “In the beginning, there were maybe 90% expats and 10% Nepalis,” he says, compared to the approximate 65% - 35% divide he now sees.
Shrestha believes the shift in numbers is political. “After the government changed, Nepal became open to other religions and so there was the freedom to celebrate different festivals.” With Western influence, Shrestha predicts a rise in the popularity of Christmas.
Christmas is no longer just for Christians, and everyone wants a slice of the fun. Up to speed with the trend is Vaishali KC, mother of two children aged six and eight. KC has used Christmas as a reason to get together with friends and family for years. Nowadays, her Christmas also includes Santa Claus, stockings and the decorating of her house. “I mostly do it for the children,” she reasons, “There isn’t a lot of entertainment for them.” So without knowing the meaning behind the festivals, KC’s offspring believe in the tooth-fairy, paint eggs for Easter and write letters to Santa about what gifts they want. For them “right now, Christmas is all about Santa.”
KC has taken segments of Christmas from experiences in America. So on top of what she does for her children, her celebrations include Christmas parties for adults and kids, gifts and even fruitcake. As for what happens when her offspring realize that Santa is a fabrication, she says, “It’ll just be a change in pattern. Santa may not be in it anymore but we’ll still have Christmas parties to see family and friends.”
Having enjoyed Christmas in Nepal and America is Prerana BC, 23, a Christian student at North Lake College, Texas, USA. “For non-Christians in the US, it’s more about family and having fun.” She adds, “I like Christmas in the US, it’s more enjoyable,” referring to the commercialized season in America where Christmas décor is rampant and holiday sales are unavoidable. In her opinion, Nepal is lagging and lacks the Christmas cheer of America, “If my family was also there, I’d definitely prefer Christmas in America,” she concludes.
Although many are unaware of why Christians celebrate Christmas, it is generally accepted that the new Nepal and the younger generation has opened their arms to celebrating. Pandey explains, “Religion isn’t as important anymore, but it’s good for people to be exposed to different beliefs so they learn,” With that being said, there is the expectation that Christmas will only get bigger every year, and that along with a happy new year, more people will be wishing each other a Merry Christmas.
