Saturday, December 25, 2010

This Christmas Day

Thank God my parents never believed in Santa. They never took me to an old, fat guy with a fake beard and asked me to sit on his lap. Subsequently I never suffered  from the trauma of discovering Santa Claus did not exist.

They did believe in plum cakes and a good Christmas feast though. So my brother and I always looked forward to the 25th. That was the night we went out to eat. 

When my kids were born, I tried to tell them that Santa existed. Truly I did. It worked also in the beginning. "Eat your lunch or Santa won't give you any toy, " or "Behave or else Santa will give your share of candies to your sister," but they were pretty smart. They figured out all by themselves that good old Santa was just a figment of mommy's over active imagination. So they took charge of the whole festival, bought a big tree that almost touched my ceiling, bought Christmas presents with their own pocket money and rented some Christmassy movie to watch on Christmas Eve. To be honest, as long as they did not expect me to bake a turkey or wrap their presents, I was quite happy with this arrangement.

This Christmas however every thing has gone wrong. Their father has gone on some long official trip up north. Their mother has forbidden them to put up the big tree that overwhelms the rather small living room. Their exam schedule, (especially the older one's) has clashed with the festival. The friends of the older one are all at home studying for the board prelims. The friends of the younger one have all gone out of town to celebrate the holiday season. So this year there have been no plum cakes, no presents, no tree and definitely no Santa.

We have spent this extra-ordinary day doing ordinary stuff. Got up rather late in the morning. Had Maggi 2 minute noodles for lunch and lazed around the whole afternoon. The kids have demanded pizza for dinner. So the evening will probably turn out a little better.

So how did you celebrate the holiday this year? Did you get a completely useless gift? And did some of you spend the holiday getting over a hangover? Whatever it was, I bet it was better than mine. 



So I thought I'd cheer myself up with this hilarious video. What do you think of this? Isn't this awesome? Enjoy people, and have a great holiday season!

35 comments:

Rama Ananth said...

Merry Christmas!!
And I really mean it. Be as merry and happy as possible so what if exams are there or the hubby is not home, you have your kids and the kids have you, so enjoy, for isn't Christmas the time to rejoice on these little things that bring us so much happiness?

Alka Gurha said...

How we fool them when they are small...and the tables turn a few years down the line...

JP said...

Merry Christmas!!!

Just enjoy the happiness whatever be the situation...

Unknown said...

aahh.. even my parents never even tried to make believe the existence of Santa. :) I guess that made it easier for us to understand that Santa existed only in imaginations. :)

Merry Christmas to you all! and Wish you a very happy new year! :)

The Panorama said...

I believd in Santa for a long time...inspite of my parents telling me he didn't exist. I guess all children need to believe in Santa...merry Christmas,Aparna!

RGB said...

I like the idea of Santa. My parents gave me no such illusion. But the image of santa riding the reindeer sled through snow flakes and across skies, carrying gifts for children world-over, sliding down the chimney with his big fat belly on Xmas eve, leaving gifts in pretty stockings...well, some imagination, but I think children like to go with it, just like they love fairytales. And of course, they grow over it with time.

I had a lovely christmas with family and friends, rich plum cake, white forest, pepper chicken not turkey, mom-made mushroom & cauli-flower biryani, FIL-made naturally fermented nutmeg wine (2008), chocolate & butter-scotch icecream topped with apple & banana...The only sad part was that my 2 year old was unwell and couldn't enjoy it much, although she did try to play along.

You can perhaps make it up with a bash of a New Year celebration...So here's wishing you a Happy 2011!

The video was hilarious!

Sandhya said...

Santa never came to our house! Though my children studied in an English convent from LKG to 5th and 8th, we, at home, never talked about Santa, maybe we were not exposed to his name!

For being happy together as a family, we can do anything, I feel, Aparna!

Merry Christmas and happy New Year to you and your family! Enjoy life!

Deepanjan Ghosh said...

Heh. Sat at home eating curd-rice with an upset stomach. If we're competing for who had a more pathetic Christmas, I beat you hands down.

ZB said...

I had a great day...i gotup at 11 am, brushed, then read newspaper while on the WC, than went for 1 hour jog ( 11 am is the new 6 am now in winter), passed through the fish market, bought 2 kgs of Hamour fish ( my fav), then came back home and checked mails and facebook.....

then showered, has breakfast at 12 noon, then fooled around with my daughter, then helped wifey in cleaning the house and washing cloths, MADE LUNCH ( made FISH BIRIYANI- it was yummmm), put daughter to sleeep while watching a movie on HBO, shopping with wife in the evening, dinner at Khana Kazana restaurant, made the baby sleep again, fooled around with wife on the balcony....and then ZZZZZZZZZ...didnt i have a great day.....

ZB said...

I am a completely domesticated animal...i prefer to make an xtraordinary day ordinary...i love time spent with the 2 women in my life, i get bored with wild parties, over-talking friends, booze parties till wee hours, or even long drives with stoopid friends...i prefer calm, tranquil home to celebrations......i get bored with too many people in life....

Kavi said...

Christmas was tranquil ! Never having had a chance to have a Santa for mom & dad played Santa almost every month !

:)

Here's wisshing you a merry xmas and good tidings to follow !

♪♪Happy Go Lucky♪♪ said...

Merry xmas!
And mine was worse.. I didn't get a gift.. i have exams too so i'm expected to study and I didn't go out with friends or family.. and my dad was busy with work too.

kirti said...

We had Santa coming to our school (wherein I teach and he studies ,just for record ;)) which my younger one figured out was a girl from 11 th std , yet his faith in Santa still remains. he expected a real one to visit the house and leave the gift by his bed side. he has even got a photo snapped with a commercial santa at a super market which he believes is actually a real Santa's representative as Santa is very busy this season .

kirti said...

And ......i forgot to wish you all a "merry christmas and a happy new year"

Aparna said...

Merry Christmas Rama, I did enjoy the day. Very few times I get to do nothing but laze around the house!

Alka, there are so many things we tell the kids, no wonder they turn hostile when they grow up!

Jarlin, Merry Christmas to you too.

Purnima,wish you a very happy new Year. Did you make a snowman?

Panorama, have a wonderful year ahead. Hope you and your son enjoyed the Christmas.

RGB, lucky you. Hope your little one is all better now. Here's wishing you and your family a wonderful New Year.

Sandhya, wishing you a wonderful New Year as well Sandhya.

Double-Dolphin, man, yours was worse than mine!

ZB, I am completely domesticated too, what do you expect from a woman who's been married for more than 18 years?

Kavi, wish you a very happy New Year. Hope all your days ahead are tranquil.

Harini, poor girl! Hope next year is better.

Kirti,children are so innocent! I envy that. I wish you a very happy New Year.

Nona said...

Excellent video! ROFL. Where did you get it?

Speaking about Christmas, yours sound way better than me! Imagine a Christmas where all shops are closed and you have no place to go!!!! :)

Renu said...

I never thought about Santa, nor my children. Christmas to them was just a day when they will get something from their father, otherwise we nevr celebrate it except wishing our christian friends.
One of my friend used to say that when her son grew up, she enjoyed time with him more than her hubby even:) and she fel guilty for that...but I enjoy my time with either of them:)

merry Christmas and a happy new year to you and family!!!

Irfanuddin said...

its nice to see kids talking about santa and believing in him....

wish u very happy & pennable 2011.

"Ab...SAB DiKHTAA HAi"
posted a new one at my blog...
http://irfanurs.blogspot.com

Thomas C B Chua said...

We have no chimney and perhaps that is the reason Santa never came into our lives, except at the shopping malls !

Rachna said...

My kids celebrate Christmas in school. They see a Santa distributing chocolates and I've never told them that Santa existed. My elder son knew somehow that Santa is unreal :). As we are on vacation, we were traveling on the 25th, but we were excited as it was the start of our vacation. Hope, your day got better towards the evening :).

Rachna said...

My kids celebrate Christmas in school. They see a Santa distributing chocolates and I've never told them that Santa existed. My elder son knew somehow that Santa is unreal :). As we are on vacation, we were traveling on the 25th, but we were excited as it was the start of our vacation. Hope, your day got better towards the evening :).

G S Pillai said...

I just chose to work right through the new year weekend. Saves one the emotional low of 'not partying enough'. Besides, they are paying extra too. Happy new year, buddy!

Anonymous said...

Your Christmas sounds a lot like my ordinary days too. Thank God for Maggi 2 minute noodles. Its winter hols here and kids are "bored". We made the mistake of going for "Tees Maar Khan" on Christmas Day. :D

BTW, Nice video ..he he

Anonymous said...

Merry christmas to you!! I think what maetrs the most is that you spent the time with your loved ones, you are so lucky to have them around, so cherish them :). I'm a new blogger would love if you would pas by my blog sometime and give me your opinion.

Aparna said...

Nona, some one sent me the link, isn't it awesome?

Renu, Happy New Year to you.

Irfanuddin, wishing you the same!

Thomas, I also think Santa did not come because my house does not have a traditional chimney!

Rachna, yes the day got better later!

Bluebird, Happy New Year to you too. Last few years, we have stopped going to parties. Saves us the hassle of parking the car!

Jyothi, the video was a killer! I am surprised you managed to sit through TMK. Here the reviews were pretty bad.

Emmy, Thanking you for dropping by. Wish you a very Happy New Year.

Rama Ananth said...

Happy New Year to you and your Family!

Destiny's child... said...

We had a temple festival on Christmas Day in my hometown. It was fun! I hope new year's eve was happening for you, tell us all about it :)

Happy new year!

dr.antony said...

Belated New Year wishes.
Childhood has its fantacies.Dont deny them.
I was on call during the Christmans weekend,and spent time at the hospital.My family was away,so it was lonely too. I watched some movies, and had fast food from a restaurant.
For us,it is OK. But children look forward to these small dreams. Let them have it.

nsiyer said...

Happy New Year, Aparna and all the best.

Meera Sundararajan said...

We did not celebrate Christmas this year as it was just 3 months since my mother in law had died.So we ran away from home- far away to an aunt's house in Kerala and had a good old Indian style style Christmas . Santa my dear is a Europeon creation. Has nothing to do with Christ.
Meera

Ire said...

:) Happy New year. I believed in Santa till I was in 7th grade. :) 24th was the only time when I slept by 10 am.

Swatantra said...

Merry Christmas and a happy new year to you.. Brought up in Punjab we had Santa who bring smile to your faces whenever you remember him..

Renu said...

Wishing you a happy new year!..I think I posted a comment earlier too.

Sucharita Sarkar said...

Oh we had the usual christmas with a bleary eyed Santa and sundry gifts.

Happy new year, though!!

Vaudeville of Exhilaration said...

Christmas brings a lot of excitement every year although this year I couldn't celebrate it as I was out of station and spent it in a gueat house.. But the guesthouse was beautifully decorated and served us yummy pastries..