[Goanet] CHRISTMAS IN ANJUNA IN THE 1950's!

[domnic fernandes]

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           * * *  2006  ANNUAL  GOANETTERS MEET - GOA  * * *
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WHERE: Foodland Cafe - Miramar Residency - Miramar, Goa
WHEN: December 21, 2006 @ 4:00pm

More info:

http://lists.goanet.org/pipermail/goanet-goanet.org/2006-December/051747.html
------------------------------------------------------------------------CHRISTMAS IN ANJUNA IN THE 1950’s!

Oh!  How times change!  Christmas in Anjuna, Bardez, Goa in the 1950’s was 
totally different than today - very quiet and spiritual.  The Holy Mass was 
celebrated in Latin, a language only a few select understood, with the 
priest standing at the altar with his back to the congregation.  A sermon 
was the only activity that was preached in Konkani.  People in those days 
were God-fearing; they prayed to God and followed Him in every step of their 
lives - they began work with prayers; they prayed when they stepped out of 
the house and thanked God when they returned home.  They never started any 
work without making the sign of the cross; people still do this but not as 
discreetly as before.  Although the congregation did not fully understand 
the Liturgy, they prayed with faith and always participated in the Holy 
Eucharist.  The elderly always carried a rosary with them and were busy 
counting the beads throughout the mass service.

Christmas for those of us who were born in the 1940’s was a yearly ritual – 
go to church, attend midnight mass and return home.  The whole focus was on 
the midnight mass service.

Today, Christmas has become more of merry-making than devotion.  People 
eagerly wait for the month of December to arrive in order to stitch best 
clothes, to attend parties, gala dances, etc.  They make all the worldly 
preparations at Christmas, but forget to prepare themselves spiritually.  We 
welcome relatives and friends during Christmas, but forget to welcome the 
Infant Jesus in our hearts.

We all know that children are innocent; that’s why they say: “You can see 
God through children’s eyes.”  It’s altogether another story that some of us 
become the opposite when we grow up.  During our childhood, parents 
explained us how the Son of God humbled himself and was born in a manger 
among animals.  They referred to the Infant Jesus as a role model and asked 
us to be humble like him.

In those days, there was no indication of whatsoever that Christmas was 
approaching.  The only outward signs were:  Painting of a house, making of a 
star, arrangement of a Crib and preparation of “kunsvar” (Christmas sweets.)

At the beginning of December, one would see laborers scrubbing off monsoon 
dirt from a few newly built compound walls and the lower part of house walls 
in preparation of giving them a fresh coat of “chuno” (white-wash), which 
would give Goan houses that bright white majestic look!  Churches and 
chapels all over Goa were also given a white coat at this time of the year.  
Painting the houses in pure white from the inside and outside was not 
enough.  What was also required was to clean each one’s soul and prepare 
oneself to receive Infant Jesus; people never failed to do this.  In fact, 
they gave this requirement the top priority over everything else.

As far as young boys were concerned, each one of us welcomed Jesus by 
preparing a star because we knew that it was the star that had led the three 
wise men to the stable in Bethlehem.

By the first week of December, each one of us planned to make a star, which 
would become an individual pride of his artistic work.  After boys returned 
from their school, they took a machete and either went up on a hill or in a 
neighbor’s compound, of course, with their permission, and brought a couple 
of whole bamboos (not hollow ones) – nobody, not even bhattkars, ever 
refused us bamboos to make stars.  Most boys worked in pairs; our sisters 
also helped us.  Those who didn’t attend school were available all the time; 
interestingly, they had better art than us who went to school.  Before we 
cut pieces of bamboo, we had to decide on the size of a star.  A bigger 
star, especially on display from houses by the road side, attracted more 
people’s attention than those on display in the interior of the village; 
obviously, a bigger star involved more planning, labor and expenses.  Most 
of us, whose houses are located by the road side, preferred to have a large 
star so everyone could see it when they passed by our houses.

Once the sticks were ready, we arranged a design of the star on the ground 
and tied the five corners as well as middle joints with a strong string.  
The two flat sides of the star were then tied together and given a bulge in 
the middle by placing equal supports at the five joints.  Once the star was 
given the required shape then came the meticulous part of decorating it with 
multi-colored “foli” (thin sheets of paper), which had to be fixed without 
any wrinkles.  Here, craftwork knowledge came in handy, but our local 
friends who didn’t go to school, overall possessed better craftwork 
knowledge than us who had learned it at school.  Usually, “sizlele xitache 
gotte” (cooked rice grains) were used as gum to paste the paper on the edges 
of sticks, but some boys planned cashew gum in advance.  Sometime in the 
month of November, they made gashes on cashew trees with a machete through 
which sap oozed and gradually the cuts produced fine strips of gum, which we 
collected and placed in an empty “tinteiro” (ink bottle) and, voilà, we had 
the best homemade gum, which was better than “xitache gotte.”  Once the 
whole star was covered with paper, the top smooth part of each stick, where 
“foli” were joined, had to be covered with paper frill; we sometimes used 
shiny silver or gold paper for the frill, which gave the star a better look 
than ordinary paper.  The top side of the star was left open to serve as 
access to place and light a candle/oil lamp.  When the star was complete, we 
carried it carefully inside the house and kept it safely in a room.  In the 
1960’s, time permitting, we also prepared different novelty items out of 
bamboo sticks - like a car, caminhão, aero plane, comet, etc.  Furthermore, 
we prepared small stars to hang by each window of the house.

On the eve of Christmas, we proudly fixed the star to a “razu” (rope) and 
hung it from a branch of a nearby tree.  Some of us tied a rope to trees 
across a road and hung the star or novelty item at a height in the middle of 
the road.  For large stars we sometimes used a pulley.  Before we left for 
the midnight mass, we placed a light wooden plank or a thick piece of 
cardboard on the middle supports and lit a “vath” (candle) or “telachi 
pontti” (oil lamp.)  As a precaution, in order to avoid fire, we placed the 
candle on a small piece of roof tile.  We also lit a candle or oil lamp in 
each of the smaller stars.

Today, due to availability of electricity, people illuminate their houses, 
Christmas trees and compounds with various light fittings, including 
dazzling serial lights which mesmerize the eyes.  In days of yore, folding 
type round “lampianv” (lantern) made of paper with different printed designs 
and colors were hung to a “pakaddi” (thatch over a window) by each window 
and sometimes all around a house.  A candle was lit in the middle of a 
“lampianv” before leaving for the midnight mass, which would burn out by the 
time we returned home from the mass.  A fresh candle was placed and lit in 
the lampianv as soon as we returned home.  Some people placed small 
“mathiecheo pontteo” (lamps made of clay) on the top of compound walls, on 
balcony steps and on French design “sope” (seats made of stone) on either 
side of the balcony.  They also lit these before leaving for midnight mass.  
The “pontteo” lasted as long as “khobreachem tel” (coconut oil) lasted in 
them, provided there was no breeze.

There was no star-making competition in those days.  All we received was a 
good word from the passers by - Mr. X has done a beautiful star, jet, bus, 
etc.  Most everyone today buys ready made stars, which cannot be compared to 
homemade stars; the present generation misses the fun we had.

The next thing that engaged our minds during Christmas season was a Crib.  
We didn’t have any Christmas trees then, but we surely prepared Cribs.  
Although a few crosses were found in Goa prior to the arrival of the 
Portuguese, it is an established fact that Christianity began in Goa in 
1510.  Thus, it is believed that the first Christmas in Goa was celebrated 
in December 1510.  The Portuguese introduced Crib displays in churches and 
chapels and the practice continues to date.  As Christmas time approached, 
young and old juggled ideas in their minds as how best to prepare a Crib.  
Yes, Christmas time was the only time we, the children of the 1950’s, looked 
forward to devoting ourselves to the Infant Jesus and we did it by preparing 
a Crib in our houses and attending the Nativity ceremony in the church.

Not everyone was able to prepare a Crib, as there were a few basic things 
that were required to prepare it.  First of all, one had to have at least 
the main statues – Mary, mother; Joseph, father; the three wise men, a 
shepherd with a lamb on his shoulders and Infant Jesus.  Animals such as 
camels, cows, sheep, made the Crib look complete but here again not everyone 
could afford these, but I had all of them.  In those days, these statues 
were sold at the annual “Milagr Saibinninchea festachi feri” (Our Lady of 
Miracle’s feast fair) in Mapusa.  I had bought a complete set from the 
above-mentioned fair in the mid 1950’s, which I used until I left for the 
Gulf in 1972.  Though locally made, the statues were of good quality and 
well-painted; they were around seven inches tall.

We mostly prepared Cribs indoors.  We would decide to have a Crib outdoors 
when we wanted to have green pasture and this obviously required 
preplanning. Ten days prior to Christmas, we would prepare a small patch of 
ground on the chosen spot in front of the house, sow “nachnne” (millets) and 
keep watering it every morning and evening.  Seeds would germinate and by 
Christmas time we would have the desired patch of green pasture ready as 
part of the Crib.  I always kept the Crib in the background and placed all 
the animals - standing and seating camels, cows, sheep and even fowls on the 
pasture, which gave a real feel of Jesus taking birth in a manger.  Each one 
of us spread the word around about our Cribs so people could pay us a visit 
and appreciate our work, and when they complimented us we felt on the top of 
the world.  Since there was no electricity, we kept an oil lamp inside a 
crib, but sometimes we were innovative - we used torch batteries and a bulb 
to provide light in the middle of the crib through wiring.  We lit the bulb 
only when people visited us and this is where some of us scored more points 
than the others through innovation.  No, we didn’t have Crib competitions in 
those days; we did everything out of love for our Prince - the Infant Jesus. 
 Crib competition began in the 1960’s and continues to date.  The 
Mapxenkars introduced live Crib at the entrance of the New Mapusa Municipal 
Market in the late 1960’s.  Anjuna church has very nice, large statues, 
which must be at least a couple of centuries old.  The Crib was always 
arranged in a corner next to the left side altar.

Clothes Fashion at Christmas was not on anyone’s mind in those days.  We 
didn’t receive clothes at every occasion or birthday but we got them once a 
year at Christmas and that was a great thing for us.  Boys received a new 
pair of short pants (only grown up boys received a pair of long trousers,) a 
long-sleeve shirt, a pair of shoes and socks.  Girls received a new dress 
along with a petticoat, a pair of shoes and socks and a beautiful “veu” 
(veil) – the two shops “Mapxenkar” and “Calangutcar” in Mapusa stored a 
variety of veils with them.  Yes, in those days a veil was a must without 
which one could not go to church.  Women, who wore saris, placed “paluv” 
(top end of the sari) on their heads; elderly women wore a “vol” (pair of 
dress sheets which covers a woman from head to ankle – only face, hands and 
feet could be seen.)  Our poor friends, who wore used or given away clothes, 
kept looking at them until they reached the church and they continued to 
look at them even in the church; they went to church without any footwear.  
Nobody told us that we had to do charity but we did it automatically out of 
love for our friends.

Christmas is the time of the year when people exchange love and goodwill.  
Goans fulfilled the latter through “kunsvar.”  They joyfully prepared sweets 
and distributed them to visitors and neighbors.  For Goan Christian folk, 
December definitely was and is still the busiest month, as they prepare for 
the joyous Christmas season.  The ladies, in particular, had so much to 
achieve within those few busy days.  Preparation of kunsvar was the biggest 
preoccupation for them preceding Christmas, when one hardly gets the time to 
think of anything else.

Once cleaning and painting of the house was over, women would get ready to 
prepare kunsvar.  Preparation of kunsvar at home and the aroma of nevreo do 
not only bring about a different feeling among family members but also puts 
everyone into the Christmas mood.

The main item of kunsvar was and is still “nevreo” without which Christmas 
sweets are incomplete.  They made two types of “nevreo” – “muganchea 
pitteacheo ani narlachea churnancheo.” The former was made out of ground 
powder of fried “mung” (green grams.)  The powder was made at home on a 
“dantem” (a set of two round grinding stones placed on each other.)  The 
lower grinding stone had an upright metal shaft on which the upper grinding 
stone fitted.  The upper stone had a hole by the edge about an inch in 
diameter into which a solid bamboo piece was fixed; sometimes a thin piece 
of cloth was placed in the hole, which served as packing.

Two girls/women sat opposite each other, applied one hand each to the wooden 
bar and rotated the top grinding stone clockwise while at the same time 
singing songs/mandde and cracking jokes.  The top stone had a round cavity 
in the middle through which a handful of whole fried “mung” were placed 
every now and then; proportionate sugar was also added and grounded along 
with fried “mung”; fried cardamom were also added through the cavity.  
Grinding the powder on a “dantem” was real fun, as it took quite a long time 
to grind it fine, but help was never a problem because Christian as well as 
Hindu neighbors always pitched in to make the kunsvar - there was not a 
single Muslim in the whole of Anjuna then.  Kunsvar-making was a good 
opportunity for women to engage themselves in the gossip of the year.  
Children kept visiting the place where “nevreancho pitto” was made and the 
moment ready powder was gathered in a utensil, they took a spoonful and 
placed it in their mouth.  Oh, the powder was so sweet and tasty that we 
were tempted to return and take a spoonful every now and then until one of 
the women would ask:  “Ar’re, he baxen tumi kelolo pitto khait ravlear, 
pitteacheo nevreo koxeo zateleot?”  (If you keep on eating grounded powder, 
how can we make pitteacheo nevreo?

“Pitteacheo nevreo” last longer than “churnancheo nevreo” which is why they 
were made earlier and the latter were mostly made on the eve of Christmas.  
Here is the recipe for grated coconut filling and making process:

1 Kg “maida pitt” (cornflour)
A pinch of salt
4 tablespoons ghee

For the filling:

1 Kg sugar or “maddanchem godd” (coconut jaggery)
1 cup water
2 (half-ripe) coconut, grated fine
100 grams cashew nuts (chopped very fine)
200 grams raisins
4 tablespoons ghee
12 cardamoms (powdered)
Oil for frying

Mix flour, salt, and ghee well, add just enough water to knead into soft 
dough.  Keep aside.

Heat sugar and water till syrup is formed or use coconut jaggery.  Add the 
grated coconut, ghee and nuts.  When the mixture has thickened, add raisins 
and cardamom powder.  Remove from fire after the mixture turns quite dry.  
Cool and keep aside.

Divide the dough into small balls, roll out into thin rounds, put a spoonful 
of the coconut filling or grounded powder on each round, wet the edges and 
press down to form half-moon shapes; make sure you press the edges hard 
enough or else the filling will spill in the oil.  Trim edges preferably 
with a cutter and deep fry in hot oil.  You get a special tool known as 
“katrem” to cut the edges; it resembles western cowboy spurs.  It is 
attached to a metal rod about six inches long and 5mm in diameter.  When 
pressed and rolled on the edge of a “nevri”, it trims it and leaves it with 
a fancy cut.  People also pressed the wheel sideways all around the edge in 
order to get its imprint and make it look more fanciful.

Sometimes, people kept awake for two consecutive nights prior to Christmas 
in order to prepare kunsvar because somehow everyone’s kunsvar had to be 
ready before they left for the midnight mass on December 24.

Homemade nevreo were always big; people did not economize on the size.  Each 
family made large quantities of nevreo sufficient to last until January 6 
when the Christmas season comes to an end.  Usually, one big “panttli bhor” 
(basketful) pitteacheo nevreo were made; churnancheo nevreo were 
comparatively less, and the rest were kolkol, odd’dde, dhodol, bebinca, 
batika, nankatais, doce, etc. and, of course, san’na without which a Goan 
feast is incomplete or at least was.  The “panttli” containing kunsvar was 
covered with a bed sheet and kept in a “quart” (room.)  Once we knew the 
location of the “panttli”, we frequented the room and walked away with a 
nevri every time we visited the room.

Today, as I write this article, the life style in Goa has totally changed.  
People are so busy that they don’t have time for anything, not even to make 
the yearly kunsvar; so, the question of preparing kunsvar does not arise.  
However, this negligence on the part of our women has given rise to 
commercial Christmas sweets business to bakers who prepare and sell 
“Natalancho kunsvar” at nominal price, but it cannot be compared to homemade 
kunsvar; it may look the same but it doesn’t taste the same.

Here are the lyrics of one of the oldest songs by the veteran singer, Joe 
Rose, in which he compares olden-day Natalancho kunsvar to today’s kunsvar:

“NATALANCHO KUNSVAR” by Joe Rose

Adim Natalank konnaimgerui vochonk jivak re kaiborem diso
Ed’de vhoddle tray-in jinsancho kunsvar, soglleanger mezacher aso
Batq, bibik, doce, dodol, nevreo, od’de, kolkol, kitench unnem tantun naso
Atam ed’dexe pirin kaddtat don nevreo, chear od’de ani doxicho ed’doso

Chorus
Te adle kunsvar pott futtomsor konn re khatale
Ed’deo vhoddleo nevreo ek khelear dhadoxi zatale
Atamcheo nevreo zaleat nevruleo ani od’de od’dule
Tea nevreank ani bhitor poit zalear – oxeo vazoilear distat ferientle 
khivkulle

II
Borem narl, tandu ani maddachem godd poddlear, dodlachi ruch borich vaddta
Atam sarem kosleim dekun te tandui te tosle, ani goddanui mistur kiteim 
korta
Adim muino bhor pasun dodlak kaim zainaslem, atam rokdoch itlo batho bhorta
Magir novea vorsak dodlachim kapam korun, tim kailir bazchim poddta

Chorus
Atam vochot thuimsor pollovnk gelear koslim re kamam
Pinagricheo muttleo lhan zaleot ani toxinch kolkolam
Tim kolkolam pollovn daktto cheddo khevonk laglo temam
Tannem kitem mhuttlem zannoi – mummy mhaka chavoita she making kolkol like 
my small mum-mum

III
Adlo lok matininchem mis zanvchea adim poilo ghoran boson kunsvar kori
Kunsvar korun neson kitlich vatt cholon, taimancher misak pavot tori
Atam Pascoalager Mapxeam kunsvar ready made mevta, dekun bailanchi unni 
zalea worry
Torui astanannam mis ievn tennem Jezu zolmolo ennem practice korta Mary

Chorus
Avoi margai disandis vaddta re matui denvonam
Kitloi kunsvar kelear ghora lagim to bhurgeank pavonam
Cheddean adlem suit ghatlear cholta punn cheddvank cholonam
Novo vistid nam zalear kitem kortat zannoi tim – ragan ghara nidtat magir 
Natalancho amkam kisui mevonam

(From Dom’s antique shelf)

In Goa, when a Christian passes away, the whole family mourns for him/her 
for one year.  Not only functions are not held during the mourning period 
but families also do not prepare kunsvar as a mark of mourning.  In such a 
situation, early in the morning on Christmas day, each neighbor sends 
his/her child with a plateful of “kunsvar” to the bereaving family.  As a 
result, they end up receiving more “kunsvar” than they ever prepared!  In 
reciprocation, the bereaving family places some sweets or fruits in the 
plate, as according to Goan custom, it is impolite to return the plate/dish 
empty.

Similarly, mourning families in Goa do not send Christmas greetings and this 
practice, too, continues to date though those bereaving families watch TV 
programs, attend functions, dances, etc., but when it comes to sending 
greetings, they are mourning!

As soon as kunsvar frying was over, people dressed up hurriedly and left for 
the church to attend the midnight mass.

Today, almost every family has some kind of transportation and yet they 
never reach the church in time for the mass.  In the absence of 
transportation, people from as far as Xapora or Kaisua, Praias, Danddo and 
Peddem walked the distance from their homes to the church in groups and 
always reached the church well in advance of the Liturgy.  The Vagatorkars 
(people from Vagator) also joined the Kaisukars in marching to Anjuna church 
before they could have St. Anthony’s church, which was established only in 
the middle of the last century.

There is no winter season in Goa but nights during December are quite cold, 
especially during Christmas week.  Men put on their suits; so, they didn’t 
feel cold.  Women wore long dresses or draped saris; so, they, too, were 
well covered, but children were the ones who suffered.  Most boys wore short 
pants; so, they really felt cold.  Unlike today, we didn’t have sweaters or 
jackets.  The only way to get rid of cold was to walk to church briskly.  
Sometimes we felt like running but parents wouldn’t allow us to do that in 
the dark, as the red mud roads were full of pot holes.  Actually, we knew 
the roads well because we went to church quite often, especially for 
catechism classes; yet, our parents wouldn’t allow us to run because if we 
fell down and suffered bruises that would be end of Christmas, and it did 
happen to some mischievous children who didn’t listen to their parents.  As 
there was no electricity, we carried a battery torch with us but most people 
carried a coconut shell with a candle piece lit in it.

Once we reached the church and said prayers our eyes were set on the Crib 
and the comet-like star which was fixed in the direction of the Crib.  In 
the absence of electricity, a few petromaxes provided light to the whole 
church.  Today, although we have electricity, we have to have a back-up 
kerosene/petrol-based generator to switch it on as soon as electric current 
goes off, but we didn’t have to have a back-up for petromaxes.  All one had 
to do was to pump air into them to keep them alive.  Unlike today, we 
couldn’t see everyone present in the church at night.  The only place from 
where we could get a glimpse of the congregation in the church was from 
“maver” (choir balcony), but boys below ten years of age were not allowed to 
be there.  Pin drop silence was always maintained in the church.

As soon as it was time to start midnight mass, the “mistir” (master) struck 
the chord on his violin and the choir boys from Anjuna lead the mass 
ceremony with their angelic singing – all the singers knew how to read and 
write music notes; hence, synchronized singing, which is lacking today.  
Even though we were children, we were not allowed to sleep in the church, 
and mind you we were required to kneel down throughout midnight mass, just 
as we were required to kneel down throughout daily rosary at night.  In 
those days, “festacho sermao” (feast sermon) formed an important part of the 
mass which is why a special “pregador” (preacher) was always brought at 
feasts, including Christmas.  During his sermon, the preacher explained in 
detail the meaning of Christmas and requested everyone to be humble like 
Jesus and spread the goodwill around.  The sermons were quite long, between 
30 and 45 minutes, but people never got tired of listening to the word of 
God.  Boys who did not sit with their parents in the church, were asked to 
narrate a summary of the sermon preached as soon as they reached home as a 
test of their attentiveness in the church.  If they failed, they were 
punished.

As children, we anxiously waited for the moment when the altar boy would 
ring the “kampinn” (bell) and the priest would sing “Gloria In Excelcis Deo” 
which would send a signal to the “pedo” on the “torre” (tower) through his 
colleague waiting by the choir balcony door to ring the church bells 
continuously heralding the birth of Jesus, which was sometimes followed by 
bursting of crackers and setting off of “fozne”.  This was the happiest 
moment of Christmas for us.  The next happiest moment was a visit to the 
Crib at the end of midnight mass.  I specially liked the ringing of Anjuna 
church bells which were heard throughout Anjuna and even in the adjoining 
villages of Assagao and Parra on a still night.

In the past, every church in Goa held midnight mass on the December 24; 
nobody objected to it, but now we have restrictions to have functions beyond 
11:00 p.m., including midnight mass.  It’s a shame some parishes can’t have 
midnight mass though the practice continues in villages.

In the olden days, there was strong unity among relatives and neighbors; 
people were concerned and cared for the other.  Even if there was any 
misunderstanding and/or enmity, they forgave each other on Christmas day and 
this took place in the church soon after midnight mass.  In a way, their 
action was the result of sermon which called for forgiveness.

As soon as the midnight mass was over, everyone hugged and wished each other 
‘Boas Festas de Natal’ or ‘Feliz Natal’ and stole a kiss along with the 
wish.  Very few used the greeting “Merry Christmas” – keep in mind I am 
talking of the period when we were under the Portuguese regime.  People then 
visited their relatives, friends and neighbors on their way back home, 
wished them a Joyous Christmas and tasted their assorted kunsvar, which was 
offered in a soup plate or a platter.  Children always went for “pitteacheo 
nevreo” and “kolkol.”  Elders were served liquor and children were given a 
small cup of red wine.  This early morning service was an exception once a 
year.

Today, almost every household owns a music system, on which they play songs, 
Christmas Carols, etc., or watch TV programs.  During our childhood there 
were no radios or cassette players; only a few owned a phonograph.  We 
didn’t know any Christmas Carols.  Neither Santa Claus nor our parents gave 
us any Christmas gifts; the only gifts we received were nevreo and sweets.

If I knew how to sing the “Silent Night” Carol in those days, it would be 
most befitting, as the whole atmosphere then was really silent – there were 
no motorcycles or cars or buses or trucks plying on the roads at night; the 
only occasional sound one heard was the barking of dogs.  Here are the 
lyrics of Konkani Christmas Carol “XANT NIXEA”:

XANT NIXEA (Silent night) Sung by Sharon

Xant nixa, shud nixa
Kalloki, sogleank nid
Mari Jose kortat paro
Dulob ballok nidla boro
Khavnnechi korun khatt
Khavnnechi korun khatt

Xant nixa, shud nixa
Gonvlleanim, deklo uzvadd
Sorga vele Devdut denvtat
Sontosan modur git gaitat
Krista roz zolmola
Krista roz zolmola

Xant nixa, shud nixa
Devan kela putak
Rupkar tujea mogros rochnank
Kurpechem fanklem fantem
Ivn tum amchea modem
Ivn tum amchea modem

(From Dom’s antique shelf)

The only entertainment for the common masses of Goa on Christmas day was a 
tiatro, which no one missed.  Of course, the elite had their Christmas dance 
in Mapusa Municipal Garden with “Johnson & his Jolly Boys” in attendance.  
When we grew up, Christmas dances were a rarity but by the late 1960’s boys 
formed small musical groups and played for dances on a small scale.  A 
musical band was formed in Anjuna in which Albert D’Souza, the violinist 
from Danddo, played guitar and my late friend, Michael Botelho from Peddem 
crooned for the band.

During our childhood, we returned home after the midnight mass but by the 
late 1960’s youngsters arranged small dance sessions immediately after the 
midnight mass.  The dances were held in houses.  One of the first dances was 
held in the house on the main road opposite the bakery in St. Sebastian 
ward.  Subsequently, dances were held in Lulu’s house, behind Anjuna Church 
and at Fr. Agnel’s Center, second house to the left of the stairs leading to 
the miraculous cross.  By the mid 1970’s dances in Anjuna were held at the 
Rose Garden Bar & Restaurant at Tembi and sometimes on Tembi ground.

The year 2006 is about to come to an end and we are about to celebrate yet 
another Christmas at which we remember an event, the birth of the Infant 
Jesus, which took place more than two thousand years ago.  Yes, the city of 
Bethlehem was gripped with shivering cold and on a night like this Joseph 
and Mary were roaming the streets looking for a place to give birth to her 
son, but they couldn’t find any.  Finally, they entered a stable and there 
the Redeemer was born in a manger.  It was mentioned in the Holy Bible that 
one day a child would brighten the dark world – that word was fulfilled on 
that day.

That very cold night, while the shepherds were grazing their sheep, all of a 
sudden they heard a sweet voice from far afar and with it the whole sky was 
filled with light and they heard the angels sing a song:  “Glory to God in 
the highest, and peace on earth to all persons of goodwill.”

That very midnight, three wise men who were traveling on their camels 
towards the east, suddenly noticed a strange star which would halt at times 
and then advance.  They continued to look at it with awe; the star wanted to 
convey some message to them.

As forecasted by the prophets, the shepherds carried gifts with them and 
proceeded towards Bethlehem.  On the other hand, that star, which the three 
wise men had been following, halted exactly above a stable in Bethlehem 
city.  So, what did they see in that stable?  The Son of God was lying on 
straw in the manger wrapped in papers with a smile on his face; he was 
surrounded by animals and by his adopted father and mother Mary.

God sent his only son, Jesus Christ, to this world to redeem us from sin.  
Yes, he is the King of Kings and shelter of sinners who was born in a manger 
without a single piece of cloth on his body and yet he was smiling.   The 
King of Kings humbled himself for our sake.  He requests us to lead a humble 
life and to follow Him.  When we say ‘Happy Birthday’ to Jesus, let us try 
to bring about a change and improve our lives.  Let us adore Jesus and 
promise him to purify ourselves by singing the following Konkani devotional 
song:

Ontroll pettlam noketranim
Uzvadd atvech torecho
Boddve gaitat gaionnam
Sorv thavn sorgincho
Sondes dita sogott munxeak
Sondes khuxealkaiecho
Moronn nhoi amcho xevott
Punn oromb sasnnanchea jivitacho
Glo-oh-oh-oh-oh, Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh, Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-ria
In excelcis Deo
Glo-oh-oh-oh-oh, Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh, Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-ria
In excelcis Deo

Here is a beautiful Christmas Carol in which the late Jim Reeves explains 
the meaning of each of the letters of the word ‘Christmas’:

“CHRISTMAS” by the late Jim Reeves

C is for the Christ child, born upon this day
H is for Herald angels in the night
R is our Redeemer
I means Israel
S is for the star that shone so bright
T is for three wise men, they who traveled far
M is for the manger where he lay
A is for all he stands for
S means shepherds came

And that’s why there is a Christmas day

T is for three wise men, they who traveled far
M is for the manger where he lay
A is for all he stands for
S means shepherds came

And that’s why there is a Christmas day
And that’s why there is a Christmas day

Let us in a simple way distribute Christmas gift of love with our families 
and enjoy the true happiness.  Let us also share our love with fellow 
neighbors, especially with the poor and the downtrodden, partake in their 
worries and sorrows and show our brotherly love towards them.  Let this be 
our gift to the Infant Jesus; Mother Mary will definitely be pleased with 
us.

I wish one and all a Joyous Christmas and a very happy and prosperous New 
Year!

That’s all for now from Dom’s antique shelf!

Moi-mogan,

Domnic Fernandes
Anjuna/Dhahran, KSA

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