Remembering Christmas in good-old-Jaffna

Isaac T.Kulendran

Christmas in Jaffna was celebrated with religious fervor in the ‘50s and ‘60s. It was heralded by the combined carol service of all Christian schools, towards the end of November each year. A choir form each school sang a special anthem in English or Tamil and the congregation too has carols to sing. It was very largely attended and was held at the Jaffna Town Hall, one day for schoolchildren and the next for the general public.

There was no commercialization of Christmas at all. The reason being that the community was largely Hindu and did not have the same effect as they do in Colombo. Another reason was that the Jaffna man was so frugal that what he spent at Christmas was not extravagant at all. A man pushing a trolley full of alcoholic drinks after Christmas shopping was never seen in Jaffna. Maybe, the topers bought their bottles, but in moderation and always on the sly.

The combined carol service would be followed by the individual school carol services the following week, for which the choir practiced three months. After that it would be term-end for schools and Christmas would be very much in the air even in a Hindu environment (many Hindu children sang in the choir and were sort of Christianized). To take way the joys of the season would be the O.L. exam which usually went on till December 22 or 23. One vindictive Prime Minister timed the O.L. exam to clash with Christmas. On December 26th was the Physics paper for which all the science students had to study even on Christmas day.

About two or three days before Christmas each church would have its own carol service, as distinct from the school services. After the service, the choristers would visit the Christian homes. In this way money was collected for the Sunday school Christmas tree, singing carols by candle light. The tallest young man was made to dress like Santa Claus. He was quite a draw for the little ones, who stayed up late to see him visit their homes. Each family saw to it that it served the best of eats to the choristers After that would be Christmas day itself, when all wore new clothes and attended the Christmas service. After the service the members wished each other ‘Happy Christmas ‘ by shaking hands or by giving a hug and kiss, depending on the level of attachment. Then we went home and lit crackers or waited for the postman to arrive, for he would bring a large number of Christmas cards depending on your importance. Those days a card posted in Colombo on December 24 would reach the addressee in Jaffna on Christmas day. Hard to believe, isn’t it ? On Christmas day we had special lunch and visited our relations the same day or the days following. Special eats were served to the visitors, but not ‘vadai’ or ‘thosai’ as you might think-only sweets and the famous Christmas cake.

Christmas in Jaffna was quiet compared to Colombo. There were not many phones to wish the friends and relations. The post was our only hope of keeping in touch and much importance was attached to the arrival of the postman. On the 26th or the days following would be the Sunday school Christmas tree, which was eagerly looked forward to by the children because Santa would come from ‘Toyland’ to give all of them gifts. The week was spent on visiting relations.

On the 31st night was the Watch Night service, which was largely attended by all those who believed in the superstition that when the year begins, a Christian should be in church. A death knell would be rung for the old year, a few minutes before 12 O’ clock and then at twelve, the normal bell would be rung welcoming the New Year.

Once it so happened that at one of the Watch night services, the priest’s sermon was so boring that some members of the congregation began nodding in sleep.

This was around 11.30, a sleepy hour no doubt. Suddenly the priest shouted in a stentorian voice and in connection with the sermon, ‘Awake ye Christians’- and all those who were sleeping woke up with a jolt!