Christmas greetings in Sri Lanka

W. T. A. Leslie FERNANDO

Christmas is a festival that has a world-wide appeal. Christmas Carols, the Crib, Santa Claus, Christmas Tree, Christmas plays and Christmas greetings are appreciated by non-Christians as well.

Christianity was officially introduced to Sri Lanka by the Portuguese in the 16th century. Since then Christmas has been well celebrated in our country. Christmas traditions, customs and practices that have come from the West have become part of Christmas celebrations in our island. Some Christmas traditions have such an impact on Sri Lanka, they have become part of our culture. Others have intermingled with native traditions, customs and practices and appear somewhat indigenous in outlook.

When Christ was born in a cowshed at Bethlehem on the first Christmas day, an angel of the Lord appeared before some shepherds watching their flock by night in a field near Bethlehem.

Then herald angels sang “glory to the God on the highest and on earth peace towards men of goodwill.” This proclamation of the angels is the central theme of Christmas Carols. Carol singing is a significant feature at Christmas all over the world.

From the times of the Portuguese, Christmas Carols are a popular event in Sri Lanka. In the past after the Midnight Mass at Christmas, the Carol party went round the village in a decorated cart carrying Christmas greetings to the people. Children clad in white as angels in a white background singing Carols set to oriental music was a fascinating spectacle indeed.

Now motor transport is used and Carols are performed in a sophisticated manner. In some Carols you could even see Santa Claus who was a benefactor of the poor dancing to Baila tunes and collecting money. In some places like super-class hotels much noise is made with flamboyant background music drowning the spiritual outlook in Carols.

Carols have now become a nation-wide feature in Sri Lanka. In non-Christian festivals like Vesak and Poson too, Carols are performed all over the country. However, the modern Christmas Carols lack the indigenous touch and serenity of the former Carol cart.

The Holy Family, Baby Jesus, Mary and Joseph were found together at the cowshed at the birth of Christ. As such Christmas is considered a festival of the family and family re-union is a special feature at Christmas. The members of the family wherever they are come to the parental house to greet the parents. In the West, it is a custom to kill a turkey for the Christmas meal and partake it by all the family members.

In Sri Lanka, when Christmas became the main festival of Christians some traditions and customs of the Sinhala and Tamil New Year too were absorbed into Christmas. In the past when all the members of the family came to the parental house for Christmas, they greeted the father, grandfather or the chief member of the family kneeling on the ground. He in turn similar to anointing of the oil ceremony marked a Cross on the forehead with his blessings.

Though the Christians do not follow a particular nekath or auspicious times all the family members partake the Christmas meal giving the pride of place to the chief member of the family. Like Sinhala and Tamil New Year Christians too exchange gifts at Christmas.

Christmas is a season of goodwill where they greet relations and friends and visit them with presents. In Sri Lanka, employer-employee relationship is strengthened during the season. The employees visit the house of the employer and greet him with a sheaf of betel. The employer in return entertains the employees lavishly, present them gifts and derive maximum pleasure from the whole process.

It is not always possible to fulfil the time honoured tradition of visiting relations and friends. In England during the latter half of the 19th century sending Christmas cards by post became a popular practice. Even before Christmas cards came to the scene there was a tradition for merchants to send lithographs to customers with wishes for the New Year. However, Christmas cards gradually replaced those New Year greetings.

The first Christmas card was designed by John Callcott Horsley (1817-1903) who was a narrative painter. He was commissioned for the purposed by Sir Henry Cole, who was the first Director of the Victoria and Albert Museum. Sir Henry wanted Horsley to paint a card showing the feeding and clothing of the poor. But Horsley displayed a happy family including a child sipping wine and enjoying the festivities. The words ‘Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you’ was scrawlled accross it.

This first Christmas card was criticised on the ground it was not proper for a child to drink alcohol and the puritans denounced it. Nevertheless it was a popular hit among people and other artists quickly followed Hosley’s concept. Soon Christmas cards took religious themes depicting the Crib, Baby Jesus, Mary and Joseph and the visit of the Three Kings.

Until the middle of the 19th century, Christmas cards were imported to USA from UK. In 1860, Louis Prang set up a workshop at Boston Massachusets and began to produce coloured cards with winter tales for Christmas and New Year. By 1880, he was able to sell nearly 30 million Christmas cards. Soon Christmas greetings cards became a popular feature all over the world.

Many people take delight in sending Christmas cards to relations and friends. They are a token of love and remembrance. People equally feel happy when they receive Christmas cards from their loved ones, relations and friends both here and abroad. Greeting cards by post are also used for other events like birthdays, weddings, success in examinations for Easter and even for the Valentine’s day.

Christmas mail is heavy all over the world and many countries issue special Christmas stamps during the season for greeting cards. In Sri Lanka too sending Christmas cards by post is a popular feature. Special Christmas stamps often with an indigenous outlook are annually released in our country as well. In other religious festivals in our country like Vesak and Thai Pongal too greeting cards are used emulating Christmas traditions.

It is a pity that there are some Christmas cards with winter scenes, birds, animals and landscapes that has no relevance to the birth of Christmas. In some foreign countries, there is a recent development to sent their own photographs in place of Christmas scenes. And this practice might soon come to Sri Lanka as well.

There are some Christmas cards designed with an indigenous outlook and that could be appreciated. However there are some who go to extremes and depcit St. Joseph in national dress and Blessed Virgin Mary in cloth and jacket. This is absurd for in that event in the West St. Joseph should be presented in coat and trousers and Our Lady in frock.

Most of the Vesak cards have an indigenous outlook. There the characters are presented in the ancient dress in an indigenous background. In Christmas cards too the sacred personages could be presented in the usual dress in an indigenous framework. Some Christmas cards released by the Ceylon Bible Society are a good example to this effort.

(The writer is a former High Court Judge and Vice-President of the Newman Society Alumini Association)