Dubai: Christian expatriates in the UAE are gearing up for Christmas with last-minute shopping, wrapping of gifts, and preparation for Christmas dinner on the top of their holiday to-do list.
Gulf News spoke with Nisha Puthur, 29, from India, in the middle of her last-minute Christmas shopping. She said she’s halfway through her Christmas decorations at home but still has to buy some gifts for the family. For friends and colleagues, she has something else in mind.
“I thought of baking fruit cakes to give as gifts to our friends and colleagues. I know we can buy them from the shop, but I wanted to bake them myself to make it more special,” Puthur said.
Puthur is not a Christian but is married to one. She said this year’s celebration is going to be extra special.
“This time it will be really special because it will be our first family gathering together for Christmas so I’m really looking forward to it,” Puthur said. “Last year, it was my first time to receive gifts for Christmas. I didn’t know about this before then. Now, we’ll make sure to include the whole family.”
Businessman Abraham Mathew, 55, said he is almost done with his Christmas shopping for the kids. But he has left the Christmas dinner planning to his wife.
“Gifts are not the most important thing for Christmas but we have prepared something for the kids to make them happy,” Mathew said.
“If we were in India, we would have a full-on family gathering because I come from a very big family. We’d have dinner together and firecrackers,” he said.
For Filipino expatriate Normie Bunag, Christmas celebration will not be limited to her immediate family.
“We will celebrate Christmas the usual way — gift giving and Christmas dinner included. But we’re thinking of having a fellowship with our Christian brethren at Dubai Creek for the Christmas Eve dinner,” Bunag said.
Bunag said her menu will include a Christmas ham, which is a staple in every Filipino noche buena, a customary feast shared with the whole family when the clock strikes midnight on Christmas day.
Amid the festivities, Bunag said she hopes the true meaning of Christmas will not be overshadowed by the celebrations.
“This is a reminder for us to focus on the true meaning of Christmas — when God showed His great love for us by sending Jesus Christ. So on that night we, as a family, will thank and praise God for what He has done,” Bunag said.
