Christmas - by Santa Claus

Silent night, holy night, all is calm, all is bright! The neighborhood has stayed true to the carol.  The chapel at the corner of the street is packed for the midnight mass. Celebrating the birth of Christ, the congregation is united in its faith. The silence is warm and cheerful. As the churchbells toll, the worshippers respond with joy.

What does Christmas mean to us? There are many connotations. The devout consider it as celebrating the birth of baby Jesus; Children look forward to the Christmas Tree stacked with gifts and candies; the young find respite in the holiday season and use the time to bond with their families and friends. Red, white and green; turkey, marzipans and plum pudding are all so suggestive of one of the most celebrated festivals of all times – Xmas.

The car-free town of Gimmelwald is a hot-spot with adventure seeking tourists and Christmas Eve is one of its busiest times.  The tavern on the far end of the street looks cozy and inviting, in spite of the three-inch icing of snow on the roof. It is overflowing too with revelers and is as noisy as a boxful of crickets. As the church bells toll, the tavern explodes with joy.

“Merry Christmas” is all one hears for the next 180 seconds. The emotions at the chapel and the tavern are as different as night and day. But they are all happy to celebrate the birthday of someone they have never met.

Sitting on the hillock above the tavern, I have a good view of the street. The decorated houses, the stars on the chimneys, the fountain in the middle of the square dressed in snow and twinkling lights, the lamp poles along the road wreathed in baubles, the chapel in all its festive splendor, the tavern with its flamboyant grandeur.

I start humming to myself, ‘Here comes Santa Claus, here comes Santa Claus, right down Santa Claus lane……’ as I make my way to the first house on the street.