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Christmas spirit not dampened by bad weather condition
View(s):With three more days for Christmas under a new government that is rushing to reduce taxes and give relief, there is much enthusiasm to celebrate the season in grand style.
Customers combing through the scores of colourful Christmas decor. Pix by Priyantha Wickramaarachchi
The adverse weather notwithstanding, roundabouts are decorated, buildings and business premises are illuminated while shopping centres are full of customers.
The Met Department has warned of more showers during the next few days, but it has not dampened the public spirit to celebrate the first major festival that comes a month after a new government was installed in power on the strength of its promise that it would ensure national security after the terror attacks on Easter Sunday on April 21 this year.
Colombo’s Main Street was crowded with shoppers, with many people buying clothes, shoes and household items from hawkers and stalls. But the fastest selling items was Christmas decor.
The adjoining Malwatte Street, just as its name in Sinhala suggests, literally looks flowery with vendors selling multi-coloured decorative items, plastic Christmas trees and serial bulbs. Not only in Pettah, such decorative items are fast selling in other busy junctions — Maradana, Kollupitiya, Town Hall, Borella and Mount Lavinia.
Maradana Vendor Mohommad Nawaz Faruq says Christmas is a celebration for everyone irrespective of his or her religion.
True to what he said, we found that none of the vendors were Christian. But they say the season brings happiness to all, especially children.
Shop owner Swarna Liyanage said the high enthusiasm was perhaps because there was a sense of security today after the new government came into office.
“We have been doing this business for years. We sell Christmas trees and decorative items. We can feel there is peace and reconciliation after the present government took charge of the country’s affairs. People now come to Pettah without fear. This is what we wanted. With the Easter Sunday attacks, people lost hope and were pessimistic about an economic revival. But now they are confident that business would be back on track,” the trader said.
Vendor Roshan Sassadeen says he ditched his business of selling carpets, socks and other items to sell plastic Christmas trees and other decorative items.
Swarna Liyanage
Mohommad Nawaz Faruq
Kaushalya Hashini
He thinks the plastic Christmas trees are in short supply and therefore the demand was high. This was because after the Easter Sunday attacks, not many wholesalers placed big orders from China for such items.
The vendor said Christmas was celebrated by people irrespective of their religion. “Even I being a Muslim I am keen on celebrating Christmas because I live in a Catholic neighbourhood,” he said.
Foreigners identifying themselves as “Urban”, “Eva” ,”Tjasa” from Transylvania in Romania who were on vacation in Sri Lanka said Sri Lanka provides an array of Christmas items.
“The streets were decorated and shopping centres had larger Christmas trees. But it’s different for us as the weather is different and because there are no natural trees. However it’s nice to see the places being decorated,” said one of them.
Throughout the period many shopping centres are offering discounts to the customers and the banks offer credit card discounts. So in many places there is often a crowd which causes traffic congestion in the main city areas.
The colourful shopping fairs in Pettah and BMICH are hot spots where the crowds are flocking. Compared to the usual days the places were filled with people.
Kaushalya Hasini from Matara was buying bags filled with decorative items. She said it seems like people are celebrating Christmas as usual.
“I decorate vehicles as my profession, here the prices are the same and I was able to buy few of the things needed. Overall we had noticed that the business is the same as the previous year,” she said.
Choosing the best Christmas tree
Jennifer Samuel is a Christian from Battaramulla. She said: “At Christmas we are looking forward to strengthen the bonds of unity, and to give others much goodwill and generosity, as the foremost meaning of Christmas is about giving. In my personal capacity I will try my best to achieve it. Christmas is truly a family celebration.”
At Main Street in Pettah, many shops were selling cake ingredients and they were full of customers.
The police warn the people to be aware of pickpockets who were also busy on the crowded shopping streets.
Speaking to the Sunday Times people from Chilaw said Christmas is the festival Christians celebrate with intense devotion.
In Chilaw people said their Christmas celebrations could be affected because the bad weather had caused serious problems for their fisherfolk families.
The Archbishop of Colombo Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith has requested the people to refrain from noisy gatherings or parties and celebrate Christmas in a peaceful, simple and humble way.