YULETIDE ON WHEELS: GOING BACK TO A CHRISTMAS IN GUIRIM
By Tony Fernandes tonferns at hotmail.com PREFACE Christmas is a wonderful and exuberant season in Goa. It has its unique charm and happiness in the households. Vibrant atmosphere prevails in the cities and towns during this time. The story below depicts the happiness and wonder of Christmas in Goa. Back in the fifties when I was a child there may not have been many 'series' string lights as abundant and varied as today, but a 'noketr' (star) created from bamboo and coloured craft paper was a must in every Christian household. That simple star had its own aura that said it all. It brought joy and peace along with it. In the villages, soon after sunset, a candle or an oil-lamp ('pontti') would be placed in it, accompanied by bright lanterns along the balconies in some cases. The highlight was attending the Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve and visiting neighbours after that. For the rich and the poor alike, back then, it was probably the happiest night in many a home. That surely has not changed since then, except that an incandescent bulb has certainly replaced the candle and the oil-lamp that kept burning inside the hollow shell of that eternal star. However, the joyous spirit of Yuletide continues as it is evident in the story below. YULETIDE CRIB ON WHEELS It was a typical joyful evening of the winter season. As usual, during this particular time of year, happiness abounds everywhere in the countryside. During one such late evening, I happened to visit my relatives in the quaint little village of Cumbiem Morod, Guirim, Bardez, Goa, where I had spent my childhood. The Sun was about to disappear over the horizon and call it a day. The cool late December evening breeze blew across the village. Cars, trucks and scooters whizzed by the winding narrow road, quite unlike the old days. The sunset had cast a scarlet glow over the evening skies. Day was bidding adieu. I gently swung back and forth on a rocking chair in the balcao of my cousin's elegant home, admiring the two beautiful 'stars' that glowed beautifully on either side of the entrance of the house facing the hills in the distance. Then suddenly as I turned my head towards my right I noticed a bullock cart approaching from the eastern part of the village. My curiosity led me to rise from the chair and proceed towards the road to try and get a closer look of the bullock cart. A hurricane lamp attached to an arch made out of coconut tree leaves gently swayed to and fro. The bullock cart slowly drew nearer. It was then that I heard a chorus of young voices singing. I could hear the timeless and most melodic eternal carol ever of Yuletide, Silent Night. The children's voices gradually grew louder as the cart drew nearer. Soon the cart passed by us. It was then that I realized that it was a tableau on wheels -- a simple nativity scene created on the deck of the good old and humble bullock-cart. This rare and beautiful treat for one's eyes, nativity scene of the Holy Family was extremely touching. It was innocently portrayed by young kids. The scene touched the core of my heart reminding me of my younger days. I was so overcome with admiration and joy that I instinctively followed the cart till the border of my village towards the west. People came running out of their houses and followed behind. The cart then slowed down and made a full turn heading back toward the eastern part of the village. Children singing Christmas carols followed dutifully behind the cart, including a cute one in a garb of Santa Claus. The mini-tableau continued with their medley of carols, one after another, in quick succession. The lone rider in front of the cart was quite careful and adept in leading them safely on the slow journey through the village. One could say that the bullocks pulling the cart played their part too in presenting this tableau -- with the bells around their necks chiming aptly just like Christmas bells. Their hooves kept time with their staccato while the grinding of the cart wheels' iron rims rolling over the paved road provided subdued percussion. Bringing up the rear accompanying, guiding and helping this moving holy young bunch was a smart young lady, who I undoubtedly guessed, was in charge of this movable feast to everyone's awe and wonder. The scene with all the strings of bright lights and typical 'stars' adorning the balconies of homes along the way added to the joyous spirit. It was then that I realized that I had forgotten something. And what could that be? Certainly it was my camera that I had left at home -- a little distance away in the adjoining village of Canca. I regretted not having carried it along with me as I had usually done. So I approached this lady and asked her if I could take a picture before proceeding to get my camera. Permission granted, I raced back home on my scooter to get my camera. I finally caught up with the exuberant group of youngsters. They were still proceeding on their way home to their own village of Vancio, about a kilometre away. The spirit of Yuletide was very much alive as seen with the exuberance of the youngsters in taking part in the presentation of a simple, rustic and unique tableau on wheels. I felt awkward to stop their carol singing, but they were quite eager to pose for a picture. Seeing me approach them in the twilight, the leader of the pack beckoned the bullock cart to a halt. The kids gladly posed for a picture that I requested. They carried on through the rest of their journey on the winding road back home wishing me a good night. Today I sit and reminisce about that night. The moment may have passed but what still remains is that timeless photograph that bears testimony to the spirit of Yuletide. * * * * * Canada-based Tony Fernandes, an alumni of St Anthony's Monte de Guirim, is also author of "Goa : Memories of My Homeland", a book of poems and short stories. This article has been published under the Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 license. See http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/ (c) Tony Fernandes. 2006. Some rights reserved. You are free: * to copy, distribute, display, and perform the work * to make derivative works. Under the following conditions: by Attribution. You must attribute the work by crediting its source in full. Noncommercial. You may not use this work for commercial purposes. Share Alike. 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