Fun under the tree

Christmas is here and celebrations have begun all over the world. Huge Christmas trees have been put up in UAE malls, bringing in the cheer.

"Christmas to us means that every year we get to celebrate the festive season with love, joy and happiness," says Taryn Parish a South African airline professional, while for Frenchwoman Elizabeth Anne Pougnet, a copywriter, "Christmas, is the most important celebration of the year for the Christians. It is the birthday of Jesus Christ."

However, Stanca Stadler, a Romanian sales and marketing manager, feels "we need it to remind us that we are very small human beings in a huge universe much larger than we have time to think about every day".

Many Arabs including Syrians, Lebanese, Jordanians and Iraqis throughout the Middle East, follow the faith, as do numerous Indians stretching across the subcontinent. Add to this some million Europeans and Americans working in the country and it's safe to assume the UAE has a thriving Christian community.

"Celebrating Christmas in Dubai has become very similar to the Christmas I knew in Lebanon except for the weather and the snow," says Suzan Kazzi, a PR consultant.

Sunny side up

Certainly not white, but Christmas in Dubai is big, festive and rather on the sunny side. "This is somewhat strange because in Europe, the weather would be cold and everyone would be dressed in warm clothes," says Italian Fabio Lombardi, a residential sales and leasing consultant. Exactly what artist and yogalate instructor Sarah Kim misses most about spending Christmas in Canada. "I miss my white Christmases and the crisp winter air. All the winter sports, such as skating on a frozen lake, making snowmen and snow angels, skiing, walking on fresh snow and hearing the crispy sound beneath your boots, and dressing up in a bundle of layers."

Though the closest thing to snow in Dubai is a simulated ski slope, the feeling of yuletide is omnipresent. Vibrant malls and inviting hotels throughout the Emirates are decked out. Resplendent grand Christmas trees take their towering place as the din of recognisable carols softly float through the festive air. While most offices manage to make it a half day at work, Christmas is not an official holiday in the UAE.

"In the Philippines it's a long holiday, but for us here in Dubai I have half-day off on Christmas," informs Rolando Diego, a supervisor at an automobile company. The disappointment is shared by Trevor Fernandes, an Indian investment banker from Goa. "Celebrating Christmas in Dubai is very different. In some cases, Christmas tends to be a working day and for those who don't manage to get the day off, the joy of being with family is lost."

But there is a silver lining to the dark cloud, Australian artist Jennifer Simon points out. "The best part of Christmas in Dubai is that you can order turkey in a box. Nearly all the hotels offer this service and it usually comes with all the trimmings. For me it takes the hassle and stress away from cooking and you can just enjoy the day." And that's exactly what Christmas is all about, whether you celebrate it on the day or the eve. The actual countdown adds to the thrill. "I always buy a chocolate advent calendar to eat chocolates as a countdown to Christmas," Kim says.

Late celebrations

However, not everyone celebrates the festival on December 25. "We buy and decorate the Christmas tree around end of year to keep it fresh till January 14," says Polina Sasko, an airline professional from Latvia, whose family follows Russian cultural practices. For the past two centuries, Russians have remained the largest ethnic minority in Latvia. In most Baltic nations, Christmas is celebrated on January 6. "Actually, Christmas is not as popular in Russia and post-Soviet countries. During Soviet times all religious festivals were prohibited, churches were closed," Sasko explains. "So as an alternative, people started celebrating New Year's with the same traditions as Christmas."

Regardless of date, Christmas is popular and celebrated with exuberance across the region. "Carols, Christmas gifts and parties all over the world are common on this magic day. Even if the ways of celebrating, the dates and traditions vary, the spirit of Christmas is the same everywhere," Stadler reminds us.

Decorating the tree heralds the beginning of this festive season. After spending an entire year boxed up in safe storage, precious ornaments are carefully unwrapped and displayed as new ones are added.

"Everyone starts getting excited. New decorations are bought and the Christmas CDs come out. To get into the mood I love playing Christmas music at home and in the car," says homemaker Shahene Isaac from Kerala.

Decorations are a must

Grand, simple or modest, decorations are a must. While traditional decorations are all the rage, there is always room for creativity. "I have collected decorations from different parts of the world. I also like to string popcorn which is fun to do with the kids," Simon says. "I just put up the Christmas tree, place a star outside the house and then put some Christmas flowers around the house," says Manipuri Khawongva Ragui, a nail technician.

"Homes are decorated with lights, red candles and hanging decorations," Lombardi adds. "Most houses will have one or more poinsettia plants which are found only at Christmas time." Not just the poinsettia, a vast degree of patience and goodwill is also found around Christmas time.

"On the tree-setting day we all take part in the decoration process while listening to Arabic, French and English Christmas songs on the CD. OK, I admit sometimes I get frustrated with the ‘messy' decoration done by the kids, but I let them take part in the process anyway. Then I secretly repeat it myself later," Kazzi admits.

Sparklers to flowers, wreaths to candles, each house prepares in earnest for the arrival of Kris Kringle. But the tree and Santa have no real biblical foundation, Isaac explains. "These are just social methods that people have held on to keep the ‘festive spirit' alive."

So it may be, but Christmas is nothing without the presence of the jolly man. With a "ho-ho-ho" Santa Claus drives down from the North Pole in his "one horse open sleigh" filled with gifts for everyone, making Christmas all the more merry for children. The joy of hanging decorations is compounded by the promise of a reward for good behaviour. As gifts gather under the tree, with little tags inked in their names, the imagination runs wild. "The thought of opening a gift that has been lying under the tree for few teasing, is exciting. Also, the guessing part adds charm to it," Kazzi says.

Parents work painstakingly to make Christmas special for their little ones. "We usually try and make the kids sleep in till a decent hour, like 6am. Then we follow the Santa trail of snow (even in Dubai!) and chocolates, down stairs to where the presents-laden sacks are under the tree," Simon says.

"In our home, I normally get up early to arrange the gifts for the kids under the tree," says Isaac who has four children. "Then we wake the kids and it's just ripped paper everywhere!"

It's the Season of Joy; happiness involves the give and take of gifts.

This year, however, it comes on a budget, as the current economic situation has not altogether loosened its steady grip on the market.

"Gift-giving outside of the immediate family and to friends has reduced significantly due to the economic situation," Fernandes points out. Some adults refrain from exchanging gifts among themselves altogether and splurge only on children. "When you have children the presents are really for them and to watch their excitement when they know that Santa has given it," Simon adds. Many resort to using the services of Secret Santa. This covert operation involves getting a gift from an anonymous person within a pre-prescribed budget. Planning presents in advance also softens the last-minute blow to the pocket.

"I do my Christmas shopping all year round. When I find something nice, I just buy it. If I leave it all for the last minute, it becomes too stressful," Pougnet says. Isaac checks out sales from November end till Christmas Day; Parish gifts family items which are needed; and Diego (who is celebrating Christmas in the Philippines this year) has decided to give gifts to the less fortunate kids in his home country.

"I think it doesn't matter if it's expensive or not, the gifts are what matter and how you express the true meaning or the spirit of Christmas in your heart."

— Shahana Raza is a UAE-based freelance writer

Lebanese

Veal roast

• 1-1/2kg boneless veal roast
• 1/2 cup beef stock
• 160g mushrooms, sliced
• 2 sticks celery, whole
• 3 medium carrots, chopped
• Small green pepper
• 1 tsp rosemary, dry and crumbled
• 1 bottle non-alcoholic beer
• 30ml soy sauce
• 60ml apple vinegar
• 1 tbs all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp za'atar
• Salt
• Pepper

Marinate veal with za'atar, apple vinegar non-alcoholic beer rosemary and soy sauce. Roast with green peppers, celery onions and carrots in baking tray at 350°F for 1-3/4 hours (internal temperature should be about 160°F). Season roasted veal with salt and pepper. When meat is ready prepare sauce by boiling the remaining marinade mixture and pouring over veal.

Optional serves

Sauté vegetables and serve on side of veal. Instead of salt sprinkle sage and za'atar for extra flavours. Serve with plain boiled rice mixed with raisins, roasted almonds or roasted pine nuts.

Italian

Spaghetti alle vongole (spaghetti and clams)

• 320g spaghetti
• 1kg fresh clams (vongole) still in their shells (that's the longest and most difficult option, but surely the best one) or 1 jar preserved clams (Carluccio's offers a good variety)
• 4 tbs olive oil
• 2-3 garlic cloves
• 1 small bunch of parsley
• 1 small piece of chilli pepper (optional)

If you are using fresh clams, first you have to put them in salted water for a few hours so they will expel all of their sand. Then wash them, put them in a pot with nothing else, cover them and put them on the stove for a few minutes until they are all open. Let them cool and patiently remove all of them from their shells. Alternatively, you can also leave some or all in the shells for decoration. Put a large pan with two tablespoons of oil and the garlic clove on the stove. When it is hot, add the clams and let them cook a little bit (not much as they are practically already cooked during the opening procedure). Turn off the stove, remove the garlic clove and add chopped parsley and crushed pepper if you like.

In another pot, cook spaghetti until "al dente". Remember to put a little bit less of salt than usual in the water. Put the drained spaghetti in the pan with the clams. Turn on the stove and shake the pan energetically to mix pasta and clams well. If the pasta is becoming too dry, you can add a little bit of its cooking water.

Turn off the stove and then add the remaining olive oil. This is called "olio a crudo" and gives a special touch to the dish. Serve hot.

Note: To see if pasta is "al dente", usually the best way is to taste it or take a spaghetti string that's cooking and cut it, you should see a white dot in the middle that's still hard. This means the pasta is not cooked yet. As soon as the white dot disappears (but the middle part is still a bit hard), then the pasta is "al dente" and you can drain it.

Philippines

Pancit canton

• 500g Canton noodles
• 950ml chicken stock
• 1/2 medium cabbage, chopped
• 1/2 medium celery, finely chopped
• 3 medium onions sliced
• 2 medium carrots, sliced
• 170g snow peas
• 8 medium-sized shrimps
• 250g squidballs, sliced in half (Squidball is squid meat, ground and herbed, available in Hyper Panda.)
• 3 Kikiam, sliced (Kikiam is a small sausage. Beef options, such as Dodo brand, available at frozen section in Hyper Panda, Jesco, Lulu.)
• 2 tbs oyster sauce
• 1 tbs garlic, minced
• 1 tsp black pepper, ground
• 1 tbs salt
• 40ml soy sauce
• 2 tbs cooking oil

In a pan, heat the oil and sauté the garlic and onion. Add the shrimp and cook until the outer part turns light brown. Remove shrimps from the pot. Add the squidball and kikiam, and cook for two minutes. Put in the oyster sauce and chicken stock, and simmer for 20 minutes. While simmering, blanch all the vegetables in a separate pot. Put in the celery and shrimp on the pan where the squidball, kikiam, and other ingredients are cooked. Add salt and pepper to taste and let cook for two minutes. Put in the noodles and cook until the liquid has been absorbed. Add the blanched vegetables and mix with the rest of the ingredients.

Russian (Latvian)

Selyodka pod shuboy (Herring in fur coat)

• 300g of salted herring fillet
• 1 medium onion
• 3 medium potatoes
• 2 medium beet roots
• 3 medium carrots
• 2 apples
• 2 eggs
• 200g mayonnaise
• Salt to taste

Boil potatoes, beet and carrots until done. Cool them down and peel. Dice onions and chop herring fillet into small pieces. Grate beet, potatoes and carrots with a thin grater. Peel the apples and grate. Boil the eggs.

At the bottom of a flat dish, place the potatoes and cover with a layer of mayonnaise. Put herring and cover with mayonnaise again.

Top with onions and carrots, and another layer of mayonnaise. Then layer with apples and mayonnaise.

Lastly, put the beet, cover with mayonnaise and eggs. Add salt to taste. "Priyatnogo Aappetita" (Enjoy your meal).

India

Kerala appam and chicken stew

For the appam

• 370g white rice
• 80g coconut shavings
• 80g cooked rice
• 1/2 tsp yeast
• 1-1/2 tsp sugar
• 1 cup thick coconut milk
• Gingelly oil for frying
• Water as desired

Put yeast and half a teaspoon of sugar in lukewarm water for ten minutes. Wash rice well and soak in water for at least six hours. Mix soaked and cooked rice. Coarsely grind rice in thee-four portions. While grinding, add yeast and coconut. Keep mixture in a big bowl overnight so it ferments and rises. Next morning, add salt to taste.

Use only gingelly oil to make the appams on a dosa pan (a thick bottomed flat frying pan, available at most stores) or the “appa-chatti” (a small deep wok used to make appams).

Pour about half cup mixture in a hot pan to cook. Add little sugar and coconut milk to this. If required, dilute and spread into pan. Cover and cook.

For the chicken stew

• 1kg chicken, cut and marinated in turmeric and salt
• 2 medium potatoes, diced
• 1 tbs ginger and garlic, finely chopped
• 2 medium onions, thinly sliced
• 100ml thick coconut milk
• 1 tbs cashew paste
• 1/2 stick cinnamon
• 4 green cardamoms
• 5 cloves
• 4-5 green chillies
• 6-7 curry leaves
• Coconut or sesame oil
• Salt to taste
• 2 tbs oyster sauce
• 1 tbs garlic, minced
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tbs salt
• 40ml soy sauce

Fry the diced potato and keep aside. Crush cardamom, cloves and cinnamon, and crackle in hot oil. Add sliced onion and sauté. Add ginger-garlic, curry leaves and green chilly to this and cook. Cook until onions go soft but don’t brown. Add chicken pieces, salt and potato. Mix well. Add a little coconut milk and a little water (chicken stock can also be added). Cover and cook.
Pour in the rest of the thick coconut milk when chicken is almost done. Adjust this according to the desired thickness of gravy. Serve hot with appams.