Christmas evokes visions of cribs, carol singing, midnight mass, gingerbread houses, Santa Claus, and small gifts nestled below festooned Christmas trees. It is also the time for gorging on the traditional roasted turkey and a platter of cakes, cookies, chocolates, marzipans, marshmallows, and other sweetmeats. But for Bengalureans, it’s a green Christmas with eco-friendly trees, decorations, and sustainable gifting options. It is also an opportunity to show extra care for the environment during the season of celebration and “to give from the heart without taking from the planet.” Although there are differences in the way we celebrate this special time of the year, there is a recurring factor — the sharing of gifts between loved ones, and a sense of goodwill to all.
The Primrose Mar Thoma Church had set the trend of using recycled or eco-friendly materials to create Christmas trees. “This church has time and again proved that almost anything, especially decorations, can be transformed to beautiful creations by using environment-friendly and locally available material and discarded objects. We have continued the tradition of recreating decorations using eco-friendly and recycled materials to give shape to Christmas trees for the past 15 years,” says Daniel Thomas, a member of the church. The members of the church have this year curated an eco-friendly Christmas tree, towering over 25 ft, using mainly bamboo strips made with the help of a blind basket weaver and his wife (Satish and Lakshmi) near Bamboo Bazaar, and old CDs collected from church members. The Christmas wreaths inside are made of basket weave and decorated with CDs.
A sparkling Christmas tree crafted using bamboo strips and CDs in Primrose Mar Thoma Church
At the Indian Institute of Hotel Management (IIHM) and Indian Institute of Patisserie and Culinary (IIPC), they diligently carry out the tradition of cake mixing year after year, by joining hands with the hospitality fraternity, students, staff, and management who come together for cake mixing. This year, they have added drops of sustainability to the cake mixing, where everything that was presented at the cake mixing ceremony was edible, from Yule logs to gingerbread cookies in the gingerbread house. The gingerbread house structure is traditionally made of wood and completed with royal icing and edible decorations. However, at IIHM, the cardboard, wood, plastic, chart paper, and glue were replaced with buttercream, strawberries, fresh cherries, and fresh cream. A Swiss roll sponge was used for rolling Yule logs.
Conrad Bengaluru has curated a unique 360 sq ft walk-in gingerbread house, which is one of the largest in Bengaluru. Made of delicious gingerbread cookies, the structure is a recreation of the iconic Bengaluru Palace, reflecting Karnataka’s culture and tourism. Spreading cheer, the gingerbread house was packed with Christmas goodies and a wide range of delicacies.
Gingerbread house, a recreation of Bengaluru Palace, in Conrad Hotel
Marking a shift from the conventional Christmas trees, Conrad Bengaluru has curated an innovative Tree of Knowledge. Adorned with books as decor, the tree stands tall for knowledge and wisdom. Designed and curated in resonance with the brand's tagline — travel with purpose, the tree seeks to inspire overall growth and development. The guests can pick a book of their choice from the tree at minimal charges, contributing to a social cause. “The total proceeds generated and raised from the sale of the books will further be matched by the hotel and be donated to the Biswa Gouri Charitable Trust, an institution with a vision of ‘an inclusive society built on trust, respect and equality for individuals with Autism and other intellectual disabilities.’ We believe that such initiatives drive growth and support future generations to come. The Tree of Knowledge is our extended initiative for a better and stronger tomorrow,” says Srijan Vadhera, General Manager, Conrad Bengaluru.
Each hotel has their unique way of ushering in the holiday season. The Leela Bhartiya City kickstarted their Christmas celebrations with the ceremonial Christmas tree lighting, followed by carol singing by the children of Bengaluru-based NGO Home of Faith Charitable Trust. It marked the beginning of a donation drive helmed by The Leela Bhartiya City, which will be extended to the children at the charitable trust on Christmas Eve. This gesture not only contributes to a social cause, but also sends out a message to the society to celebrate festivals in a meaningful way.
.jpg?w=640&auto=format%2Ccompress)
Carol singing by the children of the Home of Faith in Bharathiya Leela City
According to Virender Razdan, general manager, Leela Bhartiya City Bengaluru says, “The core of this activity is mutual respect for one another. We take pride in being able to provide a platform for entities such as The Home of Faith Charitable Trust and empower children in need. After all, they are our future. We believe the holiday season is a time for giving, and in an effort to build a community that works together towards the betterment of the society, our annual Christmas tree lighting is symbolic of our team believing in something and wanting to be a small part of it.”
For this Christmas season, Diyas Decoratives, a social enterprise, has curated an exclusive, handcrafted, limited collection by rural artisans with the aim of ‘Reviving, Revisiting and Reintroducing’ the traditional arts and crafts of India. These signature collections of wooden Christmas ornaments, handcrafted in Channapatna, are made from sustainable material, with lacquer colours. Christmas hangings, Santa nesting dolls, souvenirs, and wooden ornaments are other gifting options. Their products, which include Indian toys, traditional games, handcrafted decorative items, gifts, and souvenirs, are geographical indication (GI)-certified and made up of non-toxic, organic, and eco-friendly materials with child-safe colours. So, if you are thinking of gifting options, head to Diya Decorative, as your kind gesture will also support and sustain the livelihood of traditional artisan groups, craftsmen, underprivileged women’s groups, and social enterprises across the country.
Handpainted Christmas hangings
All pics by Susheela Nair.
Susheela Nair is an independent food and travel writer and photographer contributing articles, content and images to several national publications, besides organising seminars and photo exhibitions. Her writings span a wide spectrum, which include travel portals and guide books, brochures and coffee table books.