Aranmula Christmas

It's mid afternoon on Christmas day and here in Aranmula there are some concessions to Christmas, but thankfully nothing like what it would be in Australia.
Some students have gone away for Christmas - the Belgian family have gone to Varkala for a beach Christmas (3 years ago Varkala was one of the beaches hit by the Boxing Day tsunami) A couple of students have gone to the ashram of Amma - she is a Keralan spiritual guru who is all the rage for westerners. She hugs everyone as her spiritual gift to her followers and people line up for hours to receive a hug from her. Some devotees talk about feeling an electric current flow through their body when she hugged them. Mumbo jumbo bah humbug as far as I'm concerned. Maybe I'm missing out on a god experience, but I get a bit annoyed with westerners (usually hippies) who think that all things Indian are deeply spiritual, and it's usually centred on one person. Amma (which means "mother") has travelled all around the world, including to Australia, giving hugs.
Anyway, those of us still at VKV had a special dinner last night (vegetarian of course) and all the teachers and VKV staff gathered with us. The eating area was decorated with streamers and balloons, and we had a few songs. Later most of the students gathered to sing together (some carols but mostly non-Christmas songs) and lit candles. We also played some silly games. It was a beautiful night with a stunning full moon.
There are many Christians in Kerala, especially Roman Catholic and Syrian Catholic. A tradition for the Christian youth for the week leading up to Christmas is to go "caroling" at all the neighbouring houses - but not caroling in any sense of what we know. It means playing very loud drums and chanting in Malayalam at people's doors until someone opens the door and gives them money. Apparently they raise money for a local sports club by doing this. I remember this from when I was here 3 years ago, but this year the young guys were much more aggressive - banging on our doors and yelling "Open the door!", looking in windows and being quite invasive. This goes on until about 1.30am and they may come to the same house several times in one night. Last night was the final night of this, and there were also firecrackers going off all night, people shouting and loud music playing over speakers all night. I don't think they were all necesarily Christians doing this - I think Hindus too were joining in the festivities.
All the VKV students were all individually asked if we would like our lessons on Christmas day and those of us still here all said yes. So today life goes on as normal, as I had hoped. I called my brother and sister not long after breakfast - my first communication other than email / blog with the outside world. My tabla teacher has invited me and another tabla student to his house this afternoon. This is not a Christmas thing - Ashok is a Hindu, but I think he always invites his longer term students to his house. Ashok lives in Chengannur - 12 kms (and a half hour bus trip) away, so we will catch the bus with him.
But here's my absolute Christmas highlight - a special and unexpected Christmas lunch:
I have been getting to know Aranmula's rickshaw drivers by smiling at them, gesturing and miming, and waving. Today as I was walking back to my room from my tabla lesson, I saw one of the rickshaw drivers walking along the lane towards me. It turns out he lives in the lane that I walk along every day to and from my tabla lessons. He took my hand to shake it, with a huge smile, and then led me to his house and took me inside. It is a very simple concrete house with not much furniture. He sat me down on a plastic chair and introduced me to his wife, sister and mother, and another guy who I think was his brother. They all spoke very very little English so most communication was via miming and a few English words. He got his mother to bring out food. I told him that VKV is vegetarian so he piled my plate with beef and keep adding to it as I ate. He sat and smiled at me saying "Happy Christmas" The family are Catholic (I surmised this from the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Pope pictures on the walls) so Christmas would have some cultural meaning for them I guess. The women of the house stood in the hallway looking in at me eat, and some small kids peeped in at the front door, giggled and said hello. My new friend kept smiling at me, trying to communicate with me in Malayalam. Shaking my hand, he said "friendship" and beamed. After eating I sat for a while until I had to go to my mridangam lesson. This was a special Christmas gift for me, and I am very grateful.