It’s the spirit that matters

The magic of Christmas transcends time and religious barriers. On the night of December 24, children across the world excitedly wait for a visit from this jolly old man in his conspicuous red suit and a flowing white beard. Legend says he rides through the frosty winter air on an open sleigh driven by a team of flying reindeers. Bells tinkle melodiously as they dash across the sky carrying sacks of presents, diligently crafted by industrious little elves in a gigantic toy factory. Wrapped in colourful paper with gilded bows, the gifts are placed carefully under trees and in stockings waiting to be opened the next day, Christmas day. The story of Santa Claus has kids hooked everywhere.

A look around the Dubai is enough to understand that residents here take their Christmas celebrations seriously. Recognising the importance of this special occasion, hotels, malls and stores have been exquisitely decorated to woo the public since people are ready to spend during Christmas.

The spirit of Christmas touches not just Christians, as expats in the UAE prove.

Abdin Nasralla

“It’s not about Muslim and Christian. We people live in the same land.”

Abdin Nasralla maybe a Muslim but that doesn’t stop him and his family from joining in the celebrations.

“Eid is with oozi (a Middle Eastern rice and lamb dish) while Christmas is with turkey. I think it’s great to join in celebrations with the community. It’s not about Muslim and Christian. We people live in the same land,” says Nasralla, vice president of Meydan Hotels & Hospitality.

An Emirati passport holder originally from Egypt, Nasralla has been celebrating Christmas with his family since 1969, when he went to England as a young boy. “We buy the turkey, we buy the crackers we buy all the decorations. We actually compete with friends to see if our tree is better decorated than theirs. It’s fun. Now as I am talking to you, my son is decorating his tree with his wife and kids, right here in Dubai, exactly what I used to do maybe 30 years ago for him.

“I prepare everything on that day. I started out as a chef so I am in charge on Christmas day, my wife only eats. It’s a holiday for her. I cook the turkey, the mince pies, and make all the trimmings. We invite people to our house on the December 26 and we make a meal out of it.

“I think picking up the phone and greeting people or sending cards is so endearing. Cards are fascinating. People create cards, go out of their way to get cards, mail them, send them, receive them. It’s good we join Christmas and New Year greetings together”.

Nitasha Siwwendi

“We never accept invitations on the eve. We carve a turkey, eat pie, warm pudding and light candles."

Born in a Buddhist family, Nitasha Siwwendi admits that living in a multicultural society makes it easy to get influenced by other festivals.

“My parents started celebrating Christmas because there was time to do so. Also, I was an only child and a child’s curiosity probably got them started. But why do we still celebrate it? Because it’s become a part of our family culture,” says Siwwendi a marketing specialist with MAF Cinemas, who has lived all her life in the UAE, with her parents and sister.

“We toil in the kitchen the whole day to the music of carols in the background. We never accept invitations on the eve. We carve a turkey, eat pie and warm pudding, and light candles. There are definitely seven-eight dishes on the table with at least two desserts and special Christmas cookies which my sister keeps polishing her skills on every year.

“You see Justin Bieber and the likes releasing modernised Christmas carols and the malls decked up and honestly everything looks so wonderful. It’s so appealing,” says Siwwendi, who feels part of the yuletide magic is the winter season itself. “I can’t imagine Christmas in Australia because that just wouldn’t feel right”.

Jiya Kalwani

“Watching the joy and excitement on their faces is what we look forward to most of all."

“My son Aarav is six and still believes in Santa Claus,” laughs Jiya Kalwani, a Hindu mother of two. “On Christmas eve, he sets cookies and milk for Santa and his reindeers. On Christmas morning, both kids come running downstairs to open their presents. Watching the joy and excitement on their faces is what we look forward to most of all.

“We don’t cook a traditional Christmas meal, but is definitely a feast. I make all their favourite dishes instead. The idea is to sit down together as a family and share a meal”.

Despite being exposed to different festivals while growing up in Mumbai, the Kalwanis never celebrated Christmas at home, until ten years ago, because of their daughter Devina.

“When she turned four she asked for a Christmas tree. We got her the tree and have been celebrating ever since. Being in a British school many of her friends celebrate Christmas. I guess that has also made us more familiar with the festival,” says father Nitin Kalwani, managing director, Acumen International.

Ujala Ali Khan

“It’s just a bit of fun."

“I guess the Christmas fixation set in really early for me,” says Ujala Ali Khan, a writer, food stylist and costume designer. “We used to live in Saudi Arabia and I went to an American school where it was celebrated in a massive way”. Muslims from Pakistan, she and her husband Araafat never celebrated Christmas as children but began to do so here in Dubai after getting married. “This year I made a Christmas tree out of foam board and just drew in the baubles. It’s just a bit of fun and different to having a normal one,” says Ujala, who always places a wreath on her front door during the festive season.

Araafat, a public relations director, however, has only one reason to celebrate. “I celebrate it because I like getting presents,” he says.

“An office tradition of ours is a turkey lunch on the day before Christmas since we are a multi-ethnic company and it is just one of those things again that we do to bring in the season and New Year.”

Meher Saraf

“I think Christmas has mass appeal due to the fact that it is all about family spending time together, it’s a time to count our blessings and be grateful for what we have."

A time to spread love and joy, Christmas is incomplete without the giving and receiving of gifts. And as the temperature dips Meher and Neeraj Saraf look forward to unwrapping baubles they have waited a whole year to hang on their Christmas tree.

Meher is a Parsi (member of the Zoroastrian community residing in India) married to a Hindu.

“We enjoy decorating the tree because some of the ornaments had been made by our daughter Simran when she was little. We still hang these on the tree. I think Christmas has mass appeal due to the fact that it is all about family spending time together, it’s a time to count our blessings and be grateful for what we have,” says Saraf, a training specialist with Emirates airline, who feels thankful for the many wonderful memories she has of spending Christmas with her daughter. She fondly remembers taking Simran to see the nativity scenes displayed at Saint Mary’s Church when she was younger; holding her little hands as they waited excitedly together to take pictures at Wafi Mall with Old Saint Nick.

“Unfortunately I have never attempted to cook roast turkey. Christmas lunch is usually international cuisine ranging from peri-peri chicken or roast chicken, pasta, mashed potatoes, fries and lots of Christmas sweets.”