A Parsi is an epicure. He enjoys all the fruits of life, and always has an excuse to celebrate, be it a birthday or an anniversary, a success at exams, promotion at work, or a festival… it matters not whether it is a Parsi festival, or Hindu, Muslim or Christian festival. Had Hanukkah been celebrated in India as a holiday, a Parsi would have gone out greeting Mazel tov and ordering a Kosher meal of Jewish matzo ball soup, fish gefilte and pecan pie!

Now that the Christmas is here, let me talk of Christmas and Bawajis. Zoroastrian connection with Christmas goes back by twenty centuries to the very day Christ was born and the three wise men, the magi, came to him bearing gifts. Magi were Zoroastrian priests. Today it is the other way around. Santa Claus comes bearing gifts for children all over the world on the night of the Christmas Eve.

Tehminas, Meheramais and even apri Ruby’s Meherbai, all busy themselves preparing for the Christmas cakes. Tehmuljis, Muncherjis and Meherwanjis help their better halves soaking raisins, sultanas, orange peels, candied ginger and cherries in rum, brandy or port, and they soak them till they themselves are pickled to their gills. This reminds me of two great makers of Christmas Cakes during my childhood days – The Jeenadarus and the Star Bakery. It is said that British would put in big orders of these round gobs of glee months in advance with Jeenadaru. They were sent to England to their families and friends there. Yours sincerely, who had the pleasure of tasting these mouth-watering creations can aver that the plum cakes that pass off as Christmas Cakes today, are but an insult to a discerning palate.

Mornings of winter and Christmastime are a pleasure time for a Parsi gourmet. What with doodh na puff and jelly as starters, and later a breakfast of vasanu, eeda-pak or badam-pak, a thick slice of the Christmas cake and the works. This is the time when Bawajis indulge themselves with stuffed chicken and if the party is large enough, than the stuffed roasted suckling pig or stuffed turkey with chestnut and pine nuts, washed down with rich, red wine – maybe Merlot or Shiraz, and later, generous helpings of pudding, and what have you? A euphoric Parsi planning a New Year bash while sipping Almond liqueur or Drambuie, made all the more pleasurable with the accompanying strains of Christmas carols on an ancient gramophone, tape-recorder, cassette-recorder, CD, pen drive or whatever is the latest, all kept in almost show-room condition.

A Parsi’s car, camera and his stereo-system are the topmost in his ‘love-of-my-life hierarchy’, followed almost neck to neck by his bottle of single-malt and dhansak, and just a short head behind by his – umm, let’s say his wife.

Christmas carols, as also church music, are the greatest cultural contributions of Christianity. From George Fredric Handel’s lofty Messiah or Bach’s Toccata and Fugue, to the popular classics Silent Night and White Christmas, to the frivolous All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth – all form a very important part of western musical literature. I remember groups of carolers going around singing Christmas carols at night, days before Christmas in South Bombay. I wonder if it is done now. Maybe around Bandra or Dhobi Talao.

If Christmas comes, can New Year be far behind? Moti, Ruby and Meherbai are already planning what to wear for the New Year bash at the Parsi Gymkhana. Darabsha, the husband, is instructed to practice the finer points of Salsa along with a reminder, “Darab pela gaya varas ni kani faras na karto! Tango ma dip karva gayo ne uthayu nahi. Ekdum tight thai gailo. So embarrassing it was!”

Lev Sahebo, good times ni salamati! Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year! And soon after, it will be our Jamshedi Navroz!