With just nine days to go for Christmas, the streets of Raipur have donned the festive look, with lights and happiness all around. The markets too are flooded with Christmas goodies, while the city folks are busy shopping and enjoying fun activities like crib-making competitions. Here’s a look at all the X-mas happenings in town.Christmas is incomplete without the perfect X-mas tree and families are hunting for the same in the city. While some make do with an artificial tree every year, others order a more authentic one from outside Chhattisgarh . For example, Savita Jones, a teacher, orders her tree from Kashmir. She tells us the reason – “Although artificial trees look good, it doesn’t feel like real Christmas while decorating them. And so, for the past three years, we have been getting a tree from dealers at a missionary in Kashmir. Though it costs more than `2,000, it is worth it.” She adds, “The festival is a time of miracles for us, and although we cannot have a white Christmas, we can make the celebration feel as real as possible.”From Santa costumes to lights, masks, and artificial snow sprays, lots of fun Christmas goodies have flooded the city’s juna bazaar. Alex Jones, a student of IIM-Raipur, says, “This is my first Christmas in Raipur, away from family. The only way to ensure that I enjoy the festivity to the fullest is to decorate my hostel room with Christmas goodies and ensure that all the students join in the festivity. Just a stroll in the market lifts our mood. There’s so much colour and variety available.”A Christmas shop vendor Patrick Dominik says, “We have some adorable Santa masks which are available for `20. Christmas hats are also quite popular among the youngsters.”Christmas is incomplete without food and Raipur bakeries have the best of Christmas confectioneries in stock.One of the bakers at Shastri Nagar road, Jennifer Gonazales, says, “Our plum cupcakes are quite popular among the buyers. We have already sold around three thousand of them and are making more. Besides that, I also have old family recipes, that were handed over to me by my grandparents. Right from the famous Yorkshire pudding and English trifle, to mashed potatoes served with crispy shredded brussels sprouts, bacon and fresh cranberry relish, we have variety of treats available here.”A group of Raipur youngsters will spend their Christmas day with specially-abled kids and visit an old-age home to share the Yuletide spirit. Father Dominic Foster, who formed the group ‘hopes and happiness’ in the city this year, says, “We are a group of 50 youngsters on a mission to spread hope and happiness among those who are neglected by their loved ones. The unfortunate truth is that the specially-abled children and members of an old-age home feel lonely during Christmas. Some don’t have families and others don’t get visitors. Hence, we formed this group to celebrate Christmas with them. We will be dressed as Santas and will carry lots of gifts. Interestingly, we have people of all faiths in our group and ours is a simple effort to bring joy.”

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