Yuletide spirit grips Mizoram as state gears up for Christmas, New Year celebration

Christianmajority Mizoram has fully soaked in the yuletide spirit with Christmas carols and songs echoing in the streets churches and almost every households and people both old and young eagerly waiting to celebrate the festivalThis time Mizoram will witness the 155th year of the Christmas celebrationPreparations have begun in all churches with the buildings and courtyards being decoratedMembers of different churches mostly youths were seen singing Christmas songs and hymns spreading the message of peace and joyAll streets in the state capital and other towns have been decked up to mark the festive seasonMany NGOs churches and groups have been gathering charity and reaching out to orphanages jails rehabilitation centres and hospitals with generous gifts In the state capital Aizawl and some district headquarters music concerts are being organised to collect donations to help the poor and the needyGiving presents is one of the true essences of Christmas as it symbolises the love of God Reverend Lalhmingmawia a pastor from Mizoram Presbyterian Church saidPeople came out in large numbers for preChristmas shopping in the markets in the capital as well as district headquartersThe state government has imposed a no vehicle zone in busy places in Aizawl and other district headquarters on December 23 24 and 31 for the benefit of the public during preChristmas and New Year shoppingMarkets and malls are reporting higher footfalls than previous years Lalhlimpuii who runs a garment shop in Aizawls Bara Bazaar told PTIThe government has also organised a Christmasrelated costume parade mass carol on Tuesday to convey the message of love peace and joy on the occasion of Christs birthFor Mizos Christmas is also a time for family reunion as they give due importance to celebrating the event with their families Many residents including students who worked and studied in towns or outside the state returned to their villages to be reunited with their familiesI am happy to reunite with my family this Christmas for the first time since I have been away from home for more than 10 years Lalthianghlimi a 26yearold youth from Saitual district who works in Goa saidHistorians recorded that the first Christmas was celebrated in Mizorams soil in 1871 not by Mizos but by the invading colonial British troops near Tuivai River on the present MizoramManipur border and the Mizo warriors attacked the soldiers during the celebrationsIn Mizoram threeday Christmas celebration starts from the evening of December 24 with urlawk zan or prenight celebration and ends on December 26While December 25 is usually sanctified for worship during which church services sermons and zaikhawm congregational singing service are held to mark the celebration December 26 is generally marked with traditional community feasts an integral part of Christmas for the MizosWhile bigger denominations like Presbyterian Church and Baptist Church of Mizoram BCM will hold traditional community feasts on December 26 some indigenous churches will organise traditional feasts from December 25The spirit of Christmas is fervently high in rural areas where the celebration sometimes lasts even a weekThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever