Lahore readies itself for X-mas

LAHORE: Lahore, like many other places around the world, lights up as December rolls around. From decorated trees to candles and cake giving, Christmas has deep roots in the history of Pakistan and Lahore.

Mohkham Din and Sons, located in Anarkali, is one of the oldest bakeries in the city. The bakery has sustained the Christmas spirit for many years.

“To mark the season, we decorate our shop with colours and have imported dancing Santas,” announced third generation baker Mohkham Naqvi. “This is an important time of the year so we try to give a lot of discounts,” he added.

Naqvi’s grandfather, Syed Mohkham Din, founded the bakery in 1879 and developed a penchant for Christmas and wedding cakes.

It’s the joy in celebrating Christ’s birthday which leads to people gifting cakes to one another, Naqvi explained, Christmas is important spiritually and culturally.

The shop serves a large segment of the Christian community. The cakes, according to Naqvi, are symbols of a celebration which cuts across religious divides.

The bakery, Naqvi reminisced, has seen Lahore change and evolve. He recalled family stories of large Santas and the elite community of the past.

“Yousuf Salahuddin bought 100 cakes the other day,” Naqvi said. “During the 1936 All Indian Muslim League conference, we served Quaid-i-Azam. My grandfather was raised in Anarkali and Allama Iqbal was a personal friend of his,” he added.

Naqvi’s friend Pastor Shahid Miraj leads a daily service at the Cathedral church located across from the High Court. Miraj said that the preparation for Christmas celebrations starts from the beginning of December.

“We are preparing for Christmas Day which of course signifies the birth of Jesus Christ,” the pastor explained. “Starting from the first Sunday in December, we prepare ourselves by lighting candle each Sunday.”

Miraj said the church holds carol services along with plays performed by children about the life of Christ. People bring gifts, Miraj added, and give to the poor. The Cathedral church holds a lunch for mentally challenged children. Some people even go to jail. Miraj said that Christmas trees and lights are set-up inside and outside the house to remember Jesus Christ. It is a time when families get close to one another.

“Christmas has always been a very family oriented occasion, friends and relatives visit as well,” said 1965 war hero and former St Anthony’s principal Cecil Choudhary. “I always remember it as a purely family day,” he added

Choudhary said Christmas brings a message of peace. It is necessary, he said, to unite irrespective of caste, creed or religion against terrorism. He added that the Christian community was committed to celebrating Christmas regardless of terror threats.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 23^rd, 2010.