Christmas Carols

One of those odd thing that this odd family of mine does is to listen to Christmas Carols in this season of Joy and Peace. Old and ancient hymns, German carols, new and contemporary carols, we even have some in French.

I cannot remember how or when this practice started. My parents put on hymns for us during this season ...... on the old Telefunken radiogram. By the time I left for School, I knew all the carols.

Through School and College the practice carried on because we always came home for Christmas, and Christmas was at home.

After I got married, I carried out my Garrard and my records. Sanjoy was not averse to hymns, carols and midnight vigil mass. Children when they came, grew up with the same idea. The strong Catholic upbringing at their Schools and choir singing strengthed the ritual at home.

The story I have not ever told anyone at all goes back to 1977. I was in Delhi and was staying up deadly cold December nights writing my final submission. I was tired, cold and terribly homesick. The only thing that kept me going that December was an old red and grey HMV gramophone.....I think the model was called Fiesta. This ancient piece of junk had come with thebarsati I lived in. (I guess the previous occupant of the room graduated to a better system).

I had records to play on it. It was late and it was cold and I still had to finish that piece of academic nonsense. I was playing Bing Crosby on the player and shutting out non-academic thoughts when there was a soft knock on the flimsy door. It was the press-man from downstairs and his wife. They had come up to listen to the carols. In my wildest dreams I would not have classified them as Christians. Faith and religion is not writ all over a person. They were Goans ... migrated to Delhi. Yes, they were Catholics. Yes, they liked and knew the carols. Most certainly they were homesick. They had brought a roti-subzi dinner for me. I brought out my jam and bread dinner. I made Horlicks in the electric kettle. And we sang carols with Bing Crosby. "White Christmas" and "Blue Christmas" and "Merry Christmas" and everything. In true Christmas spirit.

To me the spirit of Christmas has always included Tony and his wife. And every year when I put on the carols at Christmas time, I always think of them.

I am not a very religious person. Somehow that carol singing session meant a lot to me. Like most things, I kept this bottled up. I think the time has now come for me to reveal why I love carols so . It is not just Ma, nor School, nor family( though all these count, too). One cold Delhi December night had a definite role to play.

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