Prayagraj: With bright lights hanging from the high parapet and columns of different churches, the Sangam City is decked up for Christmas celebrations on December 25. The markets of the city are busy making brisk business till late night. With the churches beautifully decorated with multi-coloured lighting, the denizens are busy making their ‘last-minute’ shopping for Christmas tree toppings and other decorative items at different stalls that have come up at various busy crossings of the city.
Be it the footpath of Civil Lines or the main market of Katra, Chowk and that of several localities, several shops have mushroomed this week and offering variety of items needed to decorate the Christmas Tree.
But what awaits believers on Christmas eve are the serene and solemn midnight services conducted by various churches in the city. A visit to the local Chowk and Civil Lines market revealed that decorative items along with designer cakes are turning out to be the key attractions for visitors thronging the shops set up on the eve of Christmas. From different sizes of bells to decorative laces, snowflakes, toffees, decorative shining balls, stars of different sizes are all there for sale to the festival revellers.
Along with these, Santa dresses and caps too are an instant hit in the market. Interestingly, there is no religion divide to be seen anywhere when it comes to celebrate the festival. Thousands of youths of non-Christian families are purchasing the items for decorating their Christmas Tree and celebrating the festival. At the same time, many of those who are selling these items are Muslims.
Toys and greeting cards are also among the most sought-after items among people of different ages visiting the markets for Christmas shopping. Both branded and non-branded greeting cards and gift items were selling like hot cakes.
After not so profitable celebrations in 2021, this year the bakeries of the city are also flooded with orders with at least 150 odd calls for special cakes. What is more interesting is that denizens have been decorating their homes and shops with the help of special designers and even bringing decorative materials.
The preparation for Saturday’s celebrations had begun by mid-December itself with people making plans and looking forward for shopping. People tend to think that Christmas shopping and purchasing gifts is the same thing, however, there is much more to Christmas shopping than just gifts.
All the churches of the city have been decked up with colourful lights hanging from the high parapet. “Gone are the days when this festival was confined to Christian community alone as now people from all community don’t want to miss out the chance to take part in the festivities. I have planned to organise a get together at my home as a perfect end to the year-end celebrations and also getting a chance to give my family beautiful gifts,” said Smita Dikshit, a resident of Talirganj.
Be it the footpath of Civil Lines or the main market of Katra, Chowk and that of several localities, several shops have mushroomed this week and offering variety of items needed to decorate the Christmas Tree.
But what awaits believers on Christmas eve are the serene and solemn midnight services conducted by various churches in the city. A visit to the local Chowk and Civil Lines market revealed that decorative items along with designer cakes are turning out to be the key attractions for visitors thronging the shops set up on the eve of Christmas. From different sizes of bells to decorative laces, snowflakes, toffees, decorative shining balls, stars of different sizes are all there for sale to the festival revellers.
Along with these, Santa dresses and caps too are an instant hit in the market. Interestingly, there is no religion divide to be seen anywhere when it comes to celebrate the festival. Thousands of youths of non-Christian families are purchasing the items for decorating their Christmas Tree and celebrating the festival. At the same time, many of those who are selling these items are Muslims.
Toys and greeting cards are also among the most sought-after items among people of different ages visiting the markets for Christmas shopping. Both branded and non-branded greeting cards and gift items were selling like hot cakes.
After not so profitable celebrations in 2021, this year the bakeries of the city are also flooded with orders with at least 150 odd calls for special cakes. What is more interesting is that denizens have been decorating their homes and shops with the help of special designers and even bringing decorative materials.
The preparation for Saturday’s celebrations had begun by mid-December itself with people making plans and looking forward for shopping. People tend to think that Christmas shopping and purchasing gifts is the same thing, however, there is much more to Christmas shopping than just gifts.
All the churches of the city have been decked up with colourful lights hanging from the high parapet. “Gone are the days when this festival was confined to Christian community alone as now people from all community don’t want to miss out the chance to take part in the festivities. I have planned to organise a get together at my home as a perfect end to the year-end celebrations and also getting a chance to give my family beautiful gifts,” said Smita Dikshit, a resident of Talirganj.
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