Northeast All Ready For Christmas celebration
Shillong, Dec 20 : A paper star spells a lot during Christmas. Symbolizing hope, love, peace and divinity, stars adorn almost every household, offices and market places in the Northeast region in the advent of Christmas.
“People are swarming to roadside and departmental stores which display local-made paper and bamboo Christmas stars of varied designs for sale. A star is a must for the Christmas decorations.
It beautifies home entrances and also the Christmas tree,” said a local vendor.
In fact, the entire northeast is in a festive mood, with people preparing for Christmas and welcoming the New Year as shops bank on the Santa Claus to boost their sales. Christmas is a month-long affair here.
It is said that Christianity, the commonly practised religion in the Northeast, united the region that was separated due to linguistic, ethnic and geographical factors in the past. Christmas celebration is imbibed with family traditions, greetings and gifts here.
The Northeast is also known for versatile choir groups. They perform in national channels in television during Christmas spreading the message of peace and love. In the picturesque hill station of Shillong, capital of the predominantly Christian Meghalaya, choir groups belt out carols in churches and public places. “This is the season of happiness and rejoicing,” said a Baptist church pastor and leader of a choir group.
“The flow of shoppers has increased and we are open till late night. People buy gifts for friends and families,” said the owner of a leading shopping mall in Shillong, the fashion capital of the Northeast. With many shopping arcades coming up in the northeast, shopkeepers also resort to extraordinary marketing tricks to woo customers.
“You buy goods worth Rs 1,000 and Santa Claus is going to give you a gift amounting to about Rs 500. This new offer has become an instant hit and we are unable to cope with the rush,” the manager of a garment outlet said.
Keeping the celebration apart, the catchword in the entire region is peace. This is natural for a region where thousands have succumbed to insurgency. “Everybody is impatiently waiting for the Christmas day.
Let us all join together in praying for a new dawn of peace and hope in the region,” said Rev Dominic Jala, Archbishop of Shillong.
Pre-Christmas festive fever grips Nagaland
Kohima, Dec 20 : Pre-Christmas festive fever has gripped Nagaland with individuals, organizations and government agencies organizing various programmes across the hill state dominated by Christian populace.
The slew of events that dominated the landscape for past week were not only confined to merrymaking, music or dance. The occasion was being used as platform to send a message of peace, compassion, moral armament and meaningful engagement of youth in society.
In a pre-Christmas celebration programme in his official residence, chief minister Neiphiu Rio called upon all to work for peace and unity with the spirit of forget and forgive as the present Naga society is grappled with hatred and violence.
Senior ministers, legislators and government officials took part in the celebration at State Banquet Hall where chief minister joined others singing a carol on the occasion.
As part of Year of Capacity Building, many youth clubs both at Kohima and Dimapur organized sports and musical events heralding a mood of festivity in the trouble-torn state.
Buildings have been decorated with light in the capital town where Christmas Stars twinkle everywhere after dusk. In commemoration of the Year of Capacity Building 2008, a two-day pre-Christmas celebration was organized at Mon by district planning and development board (DPDB) on the theme, Christ the Light, Peace on Earth, reflecting unity and oneness among multi-ethnic society of Mon town.
Noted social worker Niketu Iralu, member of Moral Re-Armament (MRA), now christened as Action for Life, joined the celebration with other members of this social movement.
Agencies
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