Merry Christmas: Followers decorate Churches, homes in Peshawar
People busy shopping, preparing Christmas cakes
Representational image showing Polish Christmas ornaments. PHOTO: REUTERS
PESHAWAR:
The Christian community of Peshawar is all set to observe Christmas on Tuesday, however, the prayer sessions at Churches have already started in prelude to the Mid Night Mass on the Christmas Eve.
Families are busy preparing special dishes for the day including both the traditional Peshawari delights and the Christmas cake. People have already purchased or out looking for last minute bargains for new clothes for the big day.
Meanwhile the provincial government and the local authorities have released the salaries of Christian employees early this month so that they could observe their religious festival in due manner. The activities regarding Christmas in the city gained momentum on Sunday in order to celebrate the most important religious festival of the Christian community in a most befitting manner.
The Christian families, including elders, boys and girls are seen at city’s shopping centres. The churches in the city have been decorated with colorful lights, posters and the traditional Christmas trees in areas where Christians live in large numbers.
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 districts.
On Sunday 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 few years, the natural tree has not been available,” a shopkeeper at a 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 10 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.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 24th, 2018.
The Christian community of Peshawar is all set to observe Christmas on Tuesday, however, the prayer sessions at Churches have already started in prelude to the Mid Night Mass on the Christmas Eve.
Families are busy preparing special dishes for the day including both the traditional Peshawari delights and the Christmas cake. People have already purchased or out looking for last minute bargains for new clothes for the big day.
Meanwhile the provincial government and the local authorities have released the salaries of Christian employees early this month so that they could observe their religious festival in due manner. The activities regarding Christmas in the city gained momentum on Sunday in order to celebrate the most important religious festival of the Christian community in a most befitting manner.
The Christian families, including elders, boys and girls are seen at city’s shopping centres. The churches in the city have been decorated with colorful lights, posters and the traditional Christmas trees in areas where Christians live in large numbers.
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 districts.
On Sunday 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 few years, the natural tree has not been available,” a shopkeeper at a 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 10 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.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 24th, 2018.