Remnants of the Season

Christmas Wishes

May this Christmas Season

sparkle and shine,

for all mankind,

May peace and joy prevail

throughout the world,

free from war and crime,

May all of your wishes

and dreams come true,

And may you feel this happiness

all year through.

May the Force Be with You...and with Your Christmas Spirit!

Christmas time in Goa 1965

Pictures converted to digital from

Kodachrome Transparency 35mm 64ASA

Camera: Samoca, Japan.

YULETIDE OF THE 1960's - Goa.

(Christmas in Goa of my youth - 1965)

On the left of the window is a sign that reads 'Happy Xmas'. This sign was painted on walls of all Christian homes using a cut-out stencil by us, youngsters of that generation, in the wee hours of Christmas Day soon after attending Midnight Mass.

Two lads held the cardboard cut-out stencil in place, while I brushed blue through the stencil and two others held lanterns on each side. Stealthily we moved from house to house when the folks were asleep. They were surprised to see the signs when they woke up in the morning on Christmas day.

Seen on the top right of this picture is the typical and traditional 5-pointed 'Noketr' (Star) in every home (except in the year when a family grieves for a lost one). It was made from a set of two star-shaped expanded pieces of bamboo framework, put together with translucent paper, guruth (glue made from flour and water) tassels for the five pointers, 'pontti' (oil lamp) or candle to illuminate it, a 20 feet long bamboo pole, pulley and coir rope to haul the 'star' up into the sky! This common star has never gone out of style since then, and for sure never will.

My bicycle tilting on its stand in the picture is 'Atlas' complete with horn, bell, lamp, rear view mirror and bracket. On the sopo (seat) on the right of the 'balcão' (balcony) is a Philips portable transistor radio, quite possibly tuned to Radio Ceylon, the most powerful Short-wave Radio Station of that era..The house was built by my late father in the year 1935 when he was 34 years old.

As can be seen by the length of the shadows, I took the picture early in the morning. Camera: Samoca, Japan. Film: Kodachrome Transparency Film 35mm 64ASA.

Power for the lighting of the crib was provided by batteries. I collected as many as possible discarded standard size 1.5 V batteries from old radios in the village, in advance; checked and kept only those that had some life in the them. I made a plywood box to hold 8 batteries of 1.5V each and wired them in series to give about 12V or less, then used 2 bulbs of 6V each in series - 1 for the manger and the other for the star.

At other times of the year I fitted a salvaged reflector from an old torch and fitted it to the front end of the wooden box mentioned above. This was the most powerful flashlight in our village and perhaps, beyond!

. 

 

PICTURESQUE GOA

PICTURESQUE GOA

  Yuletide scene - St. Anne's Church, Parra, Bardez, Goa.
December 2009

  'Ye shall find the babe wrapped in

swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.'

YULETIDE ON WHEELS

 Yuletide on Wheels

 Going back in time to a Christmas in Guirim,

 Cumbiem Morod, Bardez, Goa.

Noel 2006

It was a typical joyful evening of the season. As usual during this particular time of year happiness abounds everywhere around the countryside in Goa. During one such late evening, while I was on a holiday in Goa, I went to visit my relatives in the quaint little village of Cumbiem Morod, Guirim, Bardez, Goa, where I had spent my childhood.

The sun was about to disappear over the horizon and call it a day. The cool late December evening breeze blew across the village. Cars, trucks and scooters whizzed by the winding narrow road, quite unlike the old days when I went to school. The sunset had cast a reddish glow over the western evening skies. It was apparent the day was bidding adieu.

I gently swung back and forth on a rocking chair in the ‘balcao’ of my cousin’s elegant home, admiring the two beautiful ‘stars’ that glowed beautifully on both sides of the entrance of the house facing the hills of Mapusa in the distance.

Then suddenly as I turned my head towards my right I noticed that a bullock cart was approaching from the eastern part of the village. My curiosity led me to rise from the chair and proceed towards the road to try and get a closer look of the bullock cart.  A hurricane lamp attached to the arch made out of coconut tree leaves gently swayed to and fro. The bullock cart slowly drew nearer. It was then that I heard a chorus of children’s voices singing. I could hear the timeless and the most melodic eternal carol ever of Yuletide, Silent Night. The children’s voices gradually grew louder as the cart drew nearer. Soon the cart passed by us. It was then that I realized that it was a tableau on wheels featuring a simple Nativity scene on the deck of a good old and humble bullock-cart as seen from the rear.

This rare and beautiful treat for one’s eyes, nativity scene of the Holy Family was extremely touching. It was innocently portrayed by young kids. The scene touched the core of my heart reminding me of my own younger days. I was so overcome with admiration and joy that I instinctively followed the cart till the border of my village towards the west. People came running out of their houses and followed behind. The cart then slowed down and made a full turn heading back toward the eastern part of the village. The children singing Christmas carols followed dutifully behind the cart. All the kids following, including one in a garb of Santa Claus in this mini-tableau continued with their medley of carols, from one to another, in quick succession. The lone rider in front of the cart was quite careful and adept in leading them safely on the slow journey through the village.

One could say that the bullocks pulling the cart played their part too in presenting this awesome 'tableau on wheels' – with the bells in their necks chiming aptly just like Christmas bells. Their hooves kept time with their staccato while the grinding of the iron rims of the cart’s wheels over the paved road provided subdued percussion.

Bringing up the rear accompanying, guiding and helping this moving “holy young bunch” was a smart young lady, who I undoubtedly guessed, was in charge of this movable feast to everyone’s awe and wonder. The scene with all the strings of bright lights and typical ‘stars’ adorning the balconies of homes along the way added to the joyous spirit.

It was then that I realized that I had forgotten something. And what could that be? It was my camera of course, that I had left at home - a little distance away in the adjoining village of Canca, Parra. I regretted for not having carried it along with me as I usually do. So I approached this lady and asked her to let me take a picture before proceeding to get my camera. Permission granted, I raced back home on my scooter to get my camera for a picture of this tableau. I finally caught up with the exuberant group of youngsters as they proceeded on their way home a kilometer away to their own village of Vancio, Guirim, where this spirit of Yuletide was made with a simple, rustic and uniquely designed and a well presented tableau. A tableau on wheels. I felt awkward to stop their carol singing, but they were quite eager to pose for a picture.

Seeing me approach them in the twilight, the leader of the pack beckoned the bullock cart to a halt. The kids gladly posed for a picture that I requested. They carried on through the rest of their journey on the winding road back home wishing me a good night. That made my day, a photograph that bears testimony to the spirit of Yuletide. May God bless this group of exuberant and wonderful children wherever they are today.

Tony Fernandes
Author of: Goa - Memories of My Homeland (Poems & Stories)

This article first appeared in Goanet-News

[Goanet-news] Goanet Reader: Yuletide on wheels... a Christmas in Guirim (Tony Fernandes)

Goanet Reader Mon Dec 18 14:46:23 PST 2006    

YULETIDE ON WHEELS: GOING BACK TO A CHRISTMAS IN GUIRIM

THE SPLENDOUR OF YULETIDE, Goa, India

YULETIDE IN GOA

CRIB-TIDE !

YULETIDE CRIB SCENE IN GOA, India.

Photo by Tony Fernandes

Please double-click on picture for an enlarged view.

FESTIVE MOOD

In the first week of December he celebrated the Feast of St. Francis Xavier. People flocked to Old Goa throughout the month of December and then until the first week of January. Felicio managed to squeeze a suitable day one early morning. Rising up much before dawn he made a trip to Old Goa and unbelievably was home for breakfast by 8 am.

Combined with the ongoing festivities of IFFI, people flocked to the city, Panjim. On his visit to this beautiful city he had an impression that somehow some things had been left unfinished – pavements stones were stacked up in piles in several places. Government buildings, the balustrade along the river-side promenade and lamp posts were carrying a fresh coat of paint.
The joy of Christmas was evident throughout the countryside with decorative lights, Christmas and New Year Galas, music and dance everywhere.

Then came Carnival – the beautiful floats made their rounds in the major cities – while tourists and Felicio walked around some unfinished pavements.

There was a slight lull in gaiety during Lent followed by some in sobriety, moderation and solemnity in the villages. And by Easter it was time for us to join in the festivities of Shigmo.

To Secret Santa

To

Father Christmas

From

Tony Fernandes

Dear Father Christmas,

Today I sit back and ponder of days when I was very young. Children referred to you then as the all-giving Father Christmas. And if I were lucky I’d get just two gifts:

– 1 new trouser and 1 new shirt for the midnight Mass.

As a child I was fascinated with undiminished enthusiasm at the sheer joy that prevailed at Yuletide. I made a new miniature crib every year, fabricated a "star" out of a frame-work of bamboo, lined it with translucent craft-paper and lit a candle in it, and had it hung high up on a 20 ft. bamboo pole in the front of our house.

Very often during Yuletide I dreamed about Santa Claus. I am also intrigued by the number of names people called you: St. Nicholas, St. Nick, Father Christmas,Pai Noel, Papa Noel, Papa Natal, Santa Claus, Pere Noel, Papai Noel, Sinterklaas, Baba Noel, etc.

Then, Santa, I don’t know why all these good folks have now started calling you ‘Secret Santa”. Is it because you've been secretly hiding or stashing away some gifts? Are they meant for me? Anyway, as for me, you will always remain just the same jolly good merry old soul, no matter what - whether you are secret or whether the gifts are.

Santa, by the time when I was just about touching my teens, the number of gifts received had grown to three – a pair of new shoes got added to the list! Those days all apparel, stitched or ready-made, had to be what we Goans popularly call as 'vaddtea angar'. Literally, this means 'for the growing body', and economically, rightly so. Trousers, shirts, etc. were bought a size or two larger!

As a teenager, many months prior to the onset of Advent, I randomly dropped loose change in a piggy bank (made of red clay). This self-subsidy was put aside as a little pocket money, part of which I used to buy something for my mother at Christmas time. This continued for many years until I finished my studies and started to work, and forgot about the piggy bank. That's when my wish list got shorter and giving list grew bigger. The child-wonder was slowly beginning to lose its hold.

In turn, I wondered whether Santa was turning away and getting less fond of me as I grew older. I felt ignored. What did I do, where did I go wrong?

Of course, dear Santa, there's no doubt, that over the years you have worked tirelessly and your generosity has kept on growing tremendously, snow or no snow. Today's young men have got to be ashamed of themselves.

But Santa, I would like to bring to your notice that this year is the first year ever that I have been asked to participate into a Kris Kringle procedure adopted at the convention held at my place recently, also known as 'Secret Santa'. If I’ve got it right, names of the family members to whom the gifts are to be presented, were drawn out of a hat. As I was new to this modus operandi, forgive me Santa, for I may have bungled at this game from the very start. (I'm not good at games. I don't get them quick enough. Very slow learner. Am getting old too, you know). Also making my 'want list' public surely wasn’t intended. Please don’t take it seriously as you must be already aware that those items on my list are very expensive indeed. Jokes aside, but Santa I still love this new idea. Don't get me wrong.

But on the other hand, I have every thing that I've wished for that includes a wonderful wife and three charming children and a modest roof over my head (with a chimney of course - you know why). At this point in time I would like to mention that the dryer is not working too well and the cooking range looks battered. Would you be passing by Sears or Future Shop by any chance? But would that be beyond the admissible range, would it Santa? Specially now that that whole world is on the brink of a huge recession? But on second thought... what about the new super-slim wide screen....um, no, no, don't worry. I need a new lens for my camera! Also all my colleagues in my age group are now using iPads!

But Santa, I do understand. The word ‘recession’ is on everyone’s lips. Most of us are hearing it for the first time.

So, Santa, in view of the hard times being forecast, anything inexpensive (or even nothing at all) will do, as I believe the primary purpose of Secret Santa is to restrict all the unnecessary gift-giving. Moreover, this year older people are not supposed to receive gifts any way, more so because of the recession, even though it amazes me that you are still so rich after all the gift-giving for so many years. One good thing you still use your sleigh to deliver gifts - so there, you save such a lot of cash as you don't use any gas. Fortune List or Forbes List? No way, you are beyond that. Do keep the old-fashioned traditions going. I admire your good old ways. Do take care. Use more horses to pull the sleigh if you have to.

Have a Merry Christmas.

In Santa, I still believe!

Tony Fernandes (a.k.a. TonFerns)

THE CRIB - The Joy of Christmas

Christmas season has always been a wonderful time in Goa. No decorated malls or anything on a scale like those in the West, but it has its own unique charm. Happiness in the households and vibrant atmosphere prevails in the cities and towns during this time. The story below depicts the joy and wonder of Yuletide in Goa from the perspective of a child back in the late fifties. There may not have been many string lights those days. But a ‘star’ made from bamboo and coloured craft paper was a must and it had its own aura that said it all. As soon as the sun set, these hollow body 'stars' would be lit up by incandescent bulbs in the cities while in the villages they would be lit up by candles or oil-lamps, accompanied by bright lanterns all along the balconies. The highlight was attending the midnight mass on Christmas Eve and visiting neighbours after that. It was truly the happiest night of the year in many a home for the rich and the poor alike. It has perhaps not changed much since then.

THE CRIB – The Joy of Christmas
It was October with December, Christmas and New Year still far away. It was the time for the little boy to visualize the setting of the crib. Every year he would try to make it different than the previous year.

The boy wondered what Bethlehem must have really looked like so many years ago when Jesus Christ was born. So he shuffled through some old Christmas cards of the previous years which he kept for references in the old wooden chest, and came across a card depicting a Nativity Scene with the hills in the background and manger which was in the foreground. The Star of Bethlehem was high above in the picture. He had one long look at it and put it back where it was. So he set about with the immediate task which was to paint a back drop of a star-lit night with faint hills as silhouettes in the background. So he put his thinking cap on. He walked to the nearby town to buy a cardboard for the backdrop. He would use the existing colours in his collection and hoped they would last to paint the entire scene. He would make a small star using translucent foil with a light in it and NOT a painted one, and attached it to the backdrop itself. He would bring the soil from the fields and would grow grass in it about a week in advance on a large flat piece of wood on which he would place the crib itself. He would then 'construct' a "bridge" with water underneath and a winding path that let to the entrance of the crib. He would transplant little yellow flowered plants, which he would scoop with a trowel along with the soil that held on to the roots, from the fields nearby, trying to make it as realistic as he could, embellishing the area around the crib with some tiny shoots of flowers that grew in the garden adjoining his house.

December drew near and soon it would be Christmas time. By that time he thought he would have saved enough pocket money to buy a new Nativity Set that he would go and see every time he went to the near-by market town. He hoped nobody would buy it before he got there.

Two weeks before Christmas the boy told his mother that he would like to open his piggy bank and count the amount the small coins he had saved, so that he could go and buy the Nativity piece set. So one day he collected whatever he had and headed to the market town along with his mother to buy the set from the shop where he had seen the crib set.

"That's the shop", he told his mother, pointing to the shop as soon as he reached the shopping street. "I’ve seen it in their showcase that last time I was here", said the boy. "It’s a lovely piece, come on mother, hurry", he said, leading the way and tugging at his mother's hand.

He looked into the shop window and to his great grief the set was not there. The boy’s heart sank. They went in and enquired. It had already been sold. So they requested the man in the shop behind the cash counter to show them another set if he had. “See over there," the man said looking over his bifocals, pointing his finger to a shelf on far side of his shop. The boy turned and saw in the direction the man pointed. There it was, a set better than the one had seen before. Happily, he asked the price. Sadly, it was expensive. It was not something he could afford. "We will go to another shop and see" the boy's mother said. The boy was silent. The second shop did not have any either that suited to his little collected savings. "We will see another set in another place", his mother said.

After shopping around in the market place for groceries they returned home, but without the Nativity set.

Soon it was Christmas Eve. The whole crib was ready and lots of people from the village would come to see it after the mid-night mass. But he did not have any nativity pieces to place inside and around the crib.

Then a brilliant idea flashed past the boy's mind. Why not make a figure in the form of Baby Jesus in a cradle with outstretched hands like the one he had seen in the various Christmas cards he received the previous year. Good idea! he said to himself. But where's the clay? Too late for clay.

The boy's mother was busy in the kitchen making some last minute sweets from kneaded flour. Why not use flour instead of clay, he thought. So he asked his mother for some kneaded dough and started to make a rough form, and then slowly handcrafted a form of Baby Jesus which he himself could not believe that it turned out so well. He then let it dry and painted it and placed it inside the crib. He switched on the crib lights and there it was.

The boy joined the village folks who walked to the church to attend the midnight Mass with lanterns in their hands. Walking home after the service they sang many songs and carols. People from the village came to see his crib as usual after the midnight Mass. No one else knew his little secret about Baby Jesus in the crib except his mother. After another singing session along with the other boys and girls from the neighbourhood, the lad finally went to sleep.

As soon as he woke up the next morning the first thing he did was to see the Crib and found that 'Baby Jesus' was missing from there. He was puzzled. Did somebody steal it? Was there somebody else like himself who needed it so badly?

The puzzle was finally solved when he found out that the real culprit was the pet cat in the house. The boy decided to make another one and placed inside the crib.

A few hours later the cat was caught "red-pawed" trying to take it away the second time. So finally the third time he decided to craft one out of real clay. And uses it every year to this day.

And I know this story is true. I was that boy.
Excerpted from my book: Goa - Memories of My Homeland

Tony Fernandes