A Jharkhand Christmas: Sadri carols to the beat of the mandar, sugar-dusted arsa, family picnics

As the spread of consumer capitalism brings plastic trees and jolly reindeer dashing through fake snow to Christmas all around the world, I remember how the celebrations from my childhood in Jharkhand looked markedly different.

The red, green and gold tinsel decorations that are now found abundantly in the markets were nowhere to be found. Absent too were the Santa hats, Advent wreaths and mistletoe.

Instead, multicoloured paper streamers were hung across living rooms, stretching from the ceiling fan to the side walls. Often the glue would be homemade, a solution of mushy boiled rice.

The central decoration would not be a Christmas tree but a crib with figurines representing Mary, Joseph, baby Jesus, the shepherds and the three wise men who are believed to have attended at his birth. These statuettes would be bought from the church office.

Since agriculture and animal husbandry are a mainstay of the local economy of my hometown of Gumla, about 100 km from the capital city of Ranchi, fresh hay would be readily available to build the cribs.

Christianity arrived in Jharkhand in the mid-nineteenth century with German missionaries. Today there are four main Christian sects in Jharkhand – Roman Catholics, Gossner Evangelical Lutherans, North West Gossner Evangelical Lutherans and the Church of...

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