Christmas shopping gears up

Inflation puts a price tag on religious festivities

RAWALPINDI:

The preparations for Christmas and New Year have begun in the garrison city with ardour and fervour.

The Christian community has also started decorating their homes for their religious occasion on December 25.

The shopping in the market has also reached its peak while massive Christmas trees have been displayed outside churches across the city. The Christian worship places sites are being decorated with colourful buntings and fairy lights.

The closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras have also been installed in churches for ensuring security while walkthrough gates will be set up on Christmas day.

As Christmas Eve is approaching near, all the vendors have increased the prices of garments, shoes, and Christmas paraphernalia.

The government has also announced to pay salaries and pensions to Christian employees by December 20 following which the momentum in shopping is expected to rise even further in coming days.

Police have also approved the security plan for the occasion and contingents of police will also be deployed for strict surveillance on the religious festive day.

However, much to the dismay of the Christian community, inflation has put an extortionate price tag on their religious festivities.

Other than that, a single pack of Chinese Christmas lights will retail for Rs500 and a Santa Claus costume is priced at around Rs6,000 in the local market. Local clothing stores and bakeries too have exponentially raised the prices of their products; putting a financial strain on the local Christian community.

“Prices this year are so high that it’s even been difficult to buy new clothes for our children, let alone Christmas trees and decorations,” shared citizens Ashar Sindh and Khurram Sajjad. “Islamabad administration should consider setting up two-day Christmas bazaars which offer items on a subsidised rate,” they added.

Troubled by the sky-rocketing prices with the festival just around the corner, the local Christian community is of the opinion that the government should do more to facilitate their minority communities, especially during times of religious festivals. “Children and elders come together to bake cakes and decorate trees during Christmas, all of which holds symbolic value in our faith but the extortionate price tag on most things this year make it very difficult for us to celebrate Christmas like we used to.”

 

 

Published in The Express Tribune, December 14^th, 2020.