Mangalore Ladies Circle-82 singing Carols for a Good Cause
Mangaluru: Ho..ho..ho! You better watch out, you better not cry, Better not pout, I’m telling you why, Santa Claus has come to town, He’s making a list and checking it twice, Gonna find out who’s, naughty and nice, Santa Claus, (impersonated by Deepak Ramani of Mangalore round Table-115) has come to town- and since the traffic in Mangaluru was too hectic and congested he decided not to ride his sleigh, instead rode the Royal Enfield motorbike along with his wife, Mrs Santa Claus, impersonated by Varsha Ramani (wife of Deepak Ramani and member of Mangalore Ladies Circle-82 (MLC-82), to join in the carol singing organized by MLC-82, along with members of Mangalore Round Table-115 and Mangalore Round Table-190.
Christmas is already here! Celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ is not restricted to a particular religion- and in this education hub, we all ring in the festivities with equal gusto. It is that time of the year to spread joy by making others smile. You can sing carols or share a Christmas meal with the elderly at an old-age home or with children at one of the many orphanages in the city. A group of merry people comprising of members of MLC-82, MRT-115 and 190, their family members, friends and well-wishers have started visiting local homes singing their favourite carols, in order to raise funds for charity-truly the tradition of singing carols is alive and kicking in this coastal city, also known as the “Rome of the East”.
No doubt, Carol singing has come a long way and is now an integral part of Christmas celebrations- “Oh holy night …the stars are brightly shining… it is the night of the dear saviour’s birth”- and Christmas is never complete without carol singing. Songs like “Silent night”, “Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer” and “Hark the angels” have always reminded us of childhood Christmases. Generally, carol singing starts few days prior to Christmas where people go from house to house singing popular carols- but these carolers have been visiting homes few weeks before Christmas. These carolers attired in red and green Christmas outfit, with Santa hats, accompanied by a Santa look-alike have decided to visit nearly 100 homes during their three days carol singing, which already started on December 1, 2 and one more night on 7 December. This symbolises the arrival of a time of peace, love, and brotherhood.
Going to the history of carol singing, The word carol, originally, comes from the Greek dance ‘choraulein’ which was accompanied by flute music. The French, instead of the flute music, sang songs and danced around in a circle, calling it caroller. As years passed, the song came to include music and lyrics giving birth to the modern Christmas carols. How did carol singing come to be associated with Christmas? There are many threads that link the two together. In the 12th century, St. Francis of Assisi introduced the custom of singing songs during services. But these were communal songs that were sung during times of harvest, tides, and also Christmas. By the 17th century, carols consisted of only songs and Christmas became the central occasion for these songs.
The most popular story, however, is that the night when Christ was born, the angels sang the first carol heralding his arrival to the shepherds near Bethlehem. An urban legend says that in the late 1800s, a young girl Carol Poles went missing around Christmas time in the White chapel area of London. It was during that time that the notorious serial killer Jack the Ripper was on the loose. So, the men went searching for her throughout the village, singing songs and knocking on peoples’ doors to let them know of their intentions. Hence, this kind of singing came to be known as carol singing. In Goa, groups of children go caroling with lights and candles to all the homes, singing English and Portuguese songs a few days before Christmas. And on Christmas Eve, they are accompanied by a Santa Claus. All the citizens wait expectantly for Santa and his group and offer sweets, money and other confectionery. Some very enthusiastic ones also take pictures with them. People are asked to sing along and are taught the lyrics if they are not familiar with a particular song.
Already Milagres Church Choir has visited homes singing carols during the past couple of days ( see article link below for details) – and it begins in the evening when the lights come on and continues late into the night. The groups sing carols to the accompaniment of a guitar and anyone can join them on their rounds. Santa also joins along with these carolers, where he dances and distributes sweets among the children. He also dances along with the children while the carolers sing English and Konkani carols. With these Carolers on the move, the city is already in that warm, fuzzy Christmastide feeling.
With Christmas carols like -“Silent Night, Holy Night, All is calm all is bright”, ” Joy to the World”, ” “Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer” and so on- When three dozen carolers match the note in unison, heralding the advent of Christ and charging the air with rhythm and bliss, you can’t escape the overbearing Christmas fervour. ‘Tis the season to revel in joy, to pray, care and share and to sing and dance. Come Christmas, joyful music rents the atmosphere in churches, institutions, on the streets and at homes. Right from the young to the old, everyone joins the party with passion and dedication. Carols bear a significant place in Christmas celebrations. These are songs that bring cheer and hope. And the members of Mangalore Ladies Circle-82 as always have done the right thing during this joyous Christmas season to spread the cheer and spirit of Christmas, and at the same time raise some funds for a good cause.
As music transcends religion, caste and creed, even people from other religious faiths have joined in this carol singing group- thereby making Christmas a feast for all faiths and religion. These carolers have already visited the homes Rohan Monteiro (Builder/Rohan Corporation), Siraj Ahmed (Builder, Inland Group), Dr Errol Pinto, Sanath Shetty (Architect/Planet SKS), Peter/Paul Mascarenhas (Architects), Saju Nelyar, Sanjay Rao, Vinod Patel (all entrepreneurs), few apartments and many other families in town. And on 7 December, they will visit few more homes in Mangaluru to make their carol singing project a success.
Yes, Carol singing is a guaranteed way to swing everyone into a festive mood. Door-to-door carol singing is an integral and indispensable part of Christmas where the carolers walk into people’s homes and render popular carols, bringing messages of hope, laughter and joy. Christmas is the only time when families get a chance to come together and celebrate in the spirit of the season. And carol rounds help them bond. From the youngest to the oldest, it is the spirit of togetherness and moving from one house to another that are truly fun-filled exercises. Carol singing is also about bringing joy and happiness to the less fortunate. These carolers never conclude their carol rounds without visiting old age homes, the sick, orphanages and senior citizens. Carol singing is not just about having fun but it’s also about bringing a smile on people’s faces. Kudos to the members of MLC-82, MRT-115 and 190, and all those who were part of this carolling group for bringing and ringing in the joy of Christmas and also raising funds for charity.
Mangalore Ladies Circle 82 is an affiliate of Ladies Circle International. Ladies Circle is a non-political and non-sectarian organisation made up of the wives of members of Round Table. It offers opportunities for serving the community, for fostering and strengthening friendships between like-minded young women and helps create a better understanding of the obligations, one owes to the society. Since its inception in 2001, MLC 82 strongly believes in service for the betterment of society especially in the field of education, healthcare, end environment, to mention a few.
Apart from Carol singing during Christmas and raising funds, MLC-82 has built toilet block for Mallikatte Govt. School; Donated books, built a library and a play court at the Mannagudda Govt.School; Adhyapana Sahaya – offering financial assistance to deserving students; Donated food supplies to Samvedhna, a home for orphans infected with HIV; Regular health care, nutrition and hygiene related projects for destitute women and children; Environment awareness programmes for children to use paper bags and plant trees; Provided CL bulbs to Balika Ashram, Cheshire Home and St Joseph’s Orphanage.
MLC 82 also shares a long association with Regional Advanced Paediatric Care Centre (RAPCC) of Wenlock Hospital, and in the recent past, the circle along with the Mangalore Round Table 115 has donated Rs 54 lakhs towards ICU cots. They have also provided the paediatric ward of the hospital with incubators, aquariums, AC, microwaves and a play area with books, toys and colourful wall decor. Distributed sheets and towels to the inmates of Mobility Centre-Attavar, Mangalore during Diwali Celebration; Sponsored Meals at Cheshire Home- a place where they rehabilitate physically and mentally challenged women and try their best to make them independent.
Generous donors like you are the key to MLC-82 success. Please know that all contributions you make will positively impact the lives of deserving individuals. MLC-82 counts on your support to help them in their mission. They are a zero overhead organisation. All administration expenses of MLC 82 are met from the membership collections alone. Donations received are strictly utilised for charity only, for which they have a separate charity account, and they are doing this purely on a voluntary basis. So this Christmas share some of your wealth by donating to MLC-82 towards their various community projects.
For any further details you can contact the Mangalore Ladies Circle 82 members- Cr. Cherishma D’Silva (Chairperson) – 96635 58311 or Cr. Anthia D’Souza (Vice Chairperson) – 77606 20300
Also Read Related Articles Below:
- Milagres Carolers bring Christmas Cheers to Orphans and Seniors
- Beauty of Christmas Through the Eyes of the Seniors