Mumbai: Christmas season has arrived in the city, with community groups and gymkhanas organising carol competitions, bazaars, and children’s parties during the weekend.
The Catholic Gymkhana at Marine Drive organised a ‘Carol Nite’ on Saturday. This was followed by a ‘Christmas Tree Party’ and a ‘Christmas Bazaar’ on Sunday. The events at the gymkhana are open to all communities, said Clyde Crasto, additional vice president.
“We have a set programme, with a carol night, bazaars, dance on Christmas and New Year’s Eve,” added Crasto. The weekend’s events were also attended by around 40 children from a non-governmental organisation.
Cultural Events Organised In Santacruz Gymkhana
The Willingdon Catholic Gymkhana in Santacruz, known for its big presence in sports, goes all the way with cultural events during Christmas, with events lined up till New Year’s Eve. The festival season at the gymkhana, which has around 7,000 members, started with a party for children on December 7 and a ‘Children’s Christmas Tree’ event on December 17, followed by a ‘Christmas Bazaar’ and live music on the next two days. A night of carolling will follow three days later. The season’s festivities will end with a dance on Christmas Day and a ball on New Year’s Eve.
Maurice Caeiro, general secretary of the gymkhana, said that while programmes are similar to those in the past. “But we just try to do it better. I have a young crowd and the programmes are planned accordingly,” added Caeiro.
Carol singing is a common feature in the list of community events. St Paul Institute of Communication Education (SPICE), Bandra, will be holding a carol competition on December 19 as part of its ‘Christmas at St Pauls’ event.
The festival started as an outreach programme with Carol singing at the Shanti Avedna Sadan and a blood donation drive but has grown in popularity. Apart from the carols event, the campus will feature a market with food and jewellery stalls. Margaret DaCosta, programme director for the media college, said that the festival started as an informal celebration six years ago. “Kareena Kapoor, who lives next door, attended the festival one year with her mother and son. The festival has grown since then,” said DaCosta.
The East Indian Catholics are dedicating this year’s festival to freedom fighter and former Mumbai mayor, Joseph or Kaka Baptista, a member of the community. The celebrations, called the ‘Sarvajanik Krist Mahotsav’ will feature crib and decoration competitions, carol singing and parties in the urban villages where they mostly live.
“As a fitting tribute to his active involvement in the Sarvajanik movement, we decided to have the Christmas programme under this unity theme. The festival is dedicated to our freedom fighter, Kaka Baptista, and his close connection with Lokmanya Tilak,” said Gleason Barretto of the Mobai Gaothan Panchayat, a community group
