Merry Christmas: Homes, churches decorated across city

In 2014, Christian community did not celebrate occasion due to APS massacre

PESHAWAR: Christians across the city are all set to celebrate Christmas on Friday (today). Members of the community were busy completing preparations for midnight church services on Thursday at the time this report was filed.

Followers of the faith adorned their houses and churches with Christmas trees and lights to celebrate the occasion without fear of violence as peace had almost been restored to the city and the adjacent tribal areas.

On Wednesday night, Gora Bazaar was bustling with shoppers who purchased a variety of decorative items including glass balls, glass eggs, wooden balls, handmade Santas, ornament dolls, Christmas tree decorations and other items.

Sadly, there are no natural trees available in the market any longer and those celebrating the occasion have to make do with plastic ones. “For the last three years, the natural tree has not been available,” Shahroze Khan, a shopkeeper at the Sweetheart gift shop, said.

There are a number of shops in Saddar that offer Christmas decorations. The storekeepers all agreed the natural tree was very expensive and its stay in Peshawar was short-lived as people were reluctant to purchase it.

According to estimates by the shopkeeper, more than 100,000 Christians live in the city. He added preparations were in full swing over the last ten days.

The shopkeepers said there were 20 churches in the city and people set up stalls around them to sell decorative items. They added the accessories were sold much cheaper at these places compared to Saddar. However, one of the Saddar shop owners boasted that those believing in quality came to his store. He pointed out that some of his stock had even run out.

The highest prices for a plastic tree were Rs2,500, while smaller ones went for Rs1,500 apiece. A good Santa Claus figure will set the customers back between Rs600 and Rs1,100 in the Gora Market.

“All the churches have been decorated,” Waqar Masih said.

The 35-year-old resident of Kohati looked slightly worn as he was involved in cleaning and decorating the All Saints Church which was adorned with brand new carpets, Christmas trees, lights and balloons. Like other churches in the city, a megastar was displayed at the front. Waqar said celebrations were cancelled last year and only prayer services were held due to the gruesome attack on the Army Public School.

“On this Christmas, we will try to forget that terrible memory,” Waqar said. “All those who can afford it have made all possible preparations.” The All Saints Church was established in 1882 and stands as one of the most beautiful structures in the city. Waqar said preparations had been finalised and prayers would begin at midnight.

Seasons greetings

Chief Minister Pervez Khattak greeted the Christian community for Christmas. According to a handout issued on Thursday, he said all minorities were an integral part of society. He added ensuring their welfare was the foremost responsibility of a Muslim state.

In his Christmas message, the chief minister said Pakistan was rightly proud of its minorities and the Christian community in particular. He said they had rendered valuable services in different walks of life. He was happy to see that the people of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa shared the joy of Christians on the occasion.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 25^th, 2015.