Mangaluru: Silver Bells, Silver Bells- It’s Christmas time in the city. Ring-a-ling, hear them ring, Soon it will be Christmas Day. Dressed in holiday style, In the air there’s a feeling of Christmas-Children laughing, People passing, Meeting smile after smile. And on every Street corner, churches and educational institutions you’ll hear-“Silver Bells, Silver Bells, It’s Christmas time in the city, Ring-a-ling, hear them sing, Soon it will be Christmas Day”
You might have heard them already. They will creep into your brain, as they do every year, right around mid December. Who among us will ever forget “Silver Bells.” Or “Jingle Bells.” Or “Hark, The Herald Angels Sing.” “Jingle Bells Rock” etc etc-Christmas returns again. As memorable as Christmas music is… perhaps more memorable is the Christmas celebrations. Christmas is a festival that is marked by fun, frolic, reverence, celebration, parties, family fun, catching up to make up your lost times, love, friendship, kids, Santa Claus and many more lovely feelings. It is the time when the heart gives out delicious fragrances, the homes goes through decorations makeover, the wardrobes stocking up on latest fashion. Christmas is celebrated across the globe, irrespective of religion, making it truly the greatest festival on Earth.
And the spirit of Christmas came alive a couple of days earlier in the form of fun, frolic, skit, songs, music, dance and food, when Mount Carmel Central School organized a gleeful ‘Christmas Celebrations-2015’. Yes, Christmas is a time of peace, joy, hope and a time to give and forgive. Celebrated everywhere as a joyous family event, the students at MCCS celebrated this day with gaiety on December 23, 2015 as a happy bonding of the staff and students in a family spirit. The kindergarten kids enjoyed their Christmas celebration on December 22.
The programme was conducted by the students of class V B and C. They began with a prayer service and readings from the Bible followed by a prayer dance. Miss Nidhi welcomed the gathering, and she stressed on the significance of the birth of Jesus and the celebrations worldwide. A section of the class welcomed their fellow mates by singing a melodious carol – ‘Silent Night’ in Hindi- ‘Shanthi Ki Raat’. The whole school echoed with the Holy hymn sung by the students.
A group of boys danced to a peppy number – ‘Jingle Rocks’. It was entertaining to see them swaying to those fast beats. A short drama ‘Nativity Scene’ was presented, highlighting the significance of items used to decorate during Christmas.
Why do boys have all the fun? MCCS girls are not less either. It was time for these girls to showcase their talents. They too tapped their feet making everyone in the auditorium to clap their hands. Santa too made a grand entry in the school auditorium packed with the children. The delight was uncontained especially as he came down to greet them personally.
Sr. Melissa AC , the principal appreciated the meaningful and creative performance put up by the students of Class V B and C. In her message she said that Christmas season is one of the happiest times of all the year, filled with warm memories and full of excitement. Jesus, whose birthday we celebrate at Christmastime, is our Friend and His love is never changing. On this joyous occasion, she wished everyone a very happy Christmas and a peace filled, prosperous New Year 2016.
Faye Rodrigues and Ayushi Singh compered the programme, while Sean D’Souza proposed the vote of thanks. Once the programme came to an end, the students celebrated Christmas in their respective classrooms along with their respective class teachers, sharing Christmas Kuswar, cakes etc with one another. It was a joyous and happy day to all at MCCS heralding the dawn of Christmas 25th December. I end this column with thought-provoking lyrics from the song “Joy to the World (A Christmas Prayer) by Nicholas Jonas, which sends a perfect message to the boys and girls of Mount Carmel Central School –
“Every year at Christmas
All I can see
Are pictures of the things I want
Around the tree
But this year’s a little different
I’m not thinking of myself
So my prayer for this Christmas
Is for somebody else
[Chorus:]
So I pray…
Joy To the World
Peace for every boy and girl
Hope when life is hard
Light when everything seems dark
God I know you’re listening
And you can hear
The need of every broken heart
And all their tears
I don’t have a lot to offer
Just this one simple prayer
That this Christmas everyone would know
Somebody cares…
[Chorus:]
So I pray…
Joy To the World
Peace for every boy and girl
Hope when life is hard
Light when everything seems dark
I pray that every hungry soul
Will be fed and will be warm
That not a single, solitary child
Would suffer harm
And Lord we find their ending
As we take another view
My hope is that this Christmas prayer
Would somehow come true
I pray…
Humanity would rise
And join with me
And together we’ll sing
Joy To the World (To all the world)
Peace (Peace) for every boy and girl (for every boy and girl)
(Talking bout hope) Hope when life is hard (when life is hard)
Light when everything seems dark
I pray that (I pray) every hungry soul
Will be fed and will be warm
(Not a single child) That not a single, solitary child
Would suffer harm
And Lord we find their ending
As we take another view
My hope is that this Christmas prayer
Would somehow come true…
Joy To the World
Peace for every boy and girl
