Asked if they know who Santa is, the younger girl bites her nails and blurts out, “Merry Christmas!” Apparently she has read the tag on Santa’s tummy.
Besides Nepali school kids fast recognizing Santa, Christmas is slowly becoming an important part of Nepali pop culture as well.
“We’re not Christian but our daughter loves celebrating Christmas,” Ranjeeta Poudel, US-based health program coordinator, who has returned to Nepal after 10 years, says. “Therefore, we brought back Christmas decor from the United States. However, I was surprised to find that we can buy most of it in Kathmandu also. Honestly, I hadn’t expected that.”
Certainly, the scene was different when Poudel left a decade ago. “I’d never celebrated Christmas myself nor knew anyone here doing so then. Therefore, I was amazed to see the change,” she says as she buys herself a Christmas tree.
Although the market is growing, Pandey laments that sales are not as good as last year.
“Last year we did a roaring trade, but this year business isn’t that encouraging,” he says. “For instance, last year I sold Santa for Rs 16,000, but this year I’ve had to give away the same Santa to Casino Rad for 10,000.”
Pandey blames it all on the global economic crisis.
“We don’t have many tourists around Christmas anyway. However, this year even the few that are here are really few,” he points out. “Besides, the festival has become such a major even that casinos and hotels have started importing their own Christmas decor.”
Nevertheless, despite this or perhaps because of it, this year has seen a good many domestic enthusiasts eager to celebrate their new-found “religious freedom”.“Well, I am not Christian,” Renuka Thami, selecting a Christmas lamp at Maharajgunj, says hesitantly. “I’m just doing this at my brother Manoj’s request…he’s a pastor.” Thami, who has no plans to convert, nonetheless finds no fault in celebrating the festival.
“I guess it’s okay. Not that I like it, but I don’t dislike it either,” she says candidly.
Thami is among a large chunk of Nepali customers celebrating Christmas simply to follow others. However, another group, mostly youths, is adopting Christmas as an important part of their culture.
“I’ve been celebrating it for many years now,” says Sabin Regmi, 23. “Every year, I, along with my friends celebrate it and party. I don’t see any reason why Nepalis shouldn’t celebrate if they really enjoyed it.”
With that he also adds, “I am Hindu by faith. But I don’t see how just celebrating Christmas is a threat to my faith. In fact, it’s always nice to be in a celebratory mood, ain’t it?”
It is not clear whether it is the growing trend of celebrating Christmas that has prompted hotels, restaurants and supermarkets to start commercializing the festival or the other way around. In any case, Christmas has become yet another excuse for urban youths to get together and party.
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