Christmas experience as a Muslim

 I was "inspired" for writing this after I learned something from an article in a local journal. How does a convert from Christianity gets out of Xmas (forgive me for writing this abbreviation) feelings and 'spirit' and Santa Claus etc. the whole thing of 'celebration?
 I realized after reading that a child who grows up here (USA) as a Christian has gone through a whole lot of happiness of celebration that we all know as it pervades the whole month and extend to include the new year. The cities, the Markets, the houses all start decorations early just after (and sometimes even before) Thanksgiving. Shopping centers get invaded by buyers, buying gifts etc. and they would spend any amounts while some would continue paying off for the rest of the year and then the next Xmas buying begins.
     I can imagin year after year growing up with such experience how a new Muslim would "divorce" the \Santa. Now imagine a Muslim like me growing up in Pakistan where I only saw minimal Xmas. The only thing I remember that I along with some other classmates had 'ordered' our friend Vinnoo who lived within walking distance from the grounds where new University building was to rise up, that we are coming after the convocation to your house so save some Xmas cake for us. He did and we enjoyed out "heavy Tea".
   I started my first job in England on 18th of December, so there was already Xmas 'spirit' everywhere. Being a Muslim I wanted to be careful about eating and drinking on Xmas day as the celebrations started for I did not know anything and I learned all about "sherry", Turkey, Yuletide, Father Xmas, Xmas carols, during my first week of job there as my surgical experience was to begin this way admitting four emergency cases of urinary obstruction on my first day of job. Yes I was not sure what Turkey (Had never eaten in Pakistan) was so asked to find it was just a bird and I had learned about ham, bacon and gammon which were a no no for me. But I enjoyed the other things including "mistletoe" experience. I was told when you are under a mistletoe hanging you have to kiss the lady who is with you. So on the Xmas day the lunch for 'doctors' (only the young ones) and 'nurses' (all types but mostly young ones) was in a room the door for which had a hanging mistletoe. The Nurses were there to be kissed as we doctors passed through the door for lunch (my first kiss of a less known lady BTW). Then on the table I learned Sherry was a type of alcohol. I remember writing in my diary, "There these people are funny if they are grieved they drink alcohol for it and if they are happy they drink alcohol"
 Anyway my registrar, an Australian fellow (very nice man and a new FRCS) had already warned me "Ahmad, they become crazy on Xmas" and that is what I learned but even then it was no way anywhere near what I have seen in USA. He was a good looking fellow and most of the nurses in our ward had a crush on him anyway. So he knew about the craziness first hand. I have written separately about Valentine day letters when a young nurse (whom I knew because she spoke "English type Hindi" as she was born and raised in India) wrote a large number of letters to him on such day. She had told me "yeh admi buhut kharab hay"
      Being a part of such celebrations in the hospital was a good experience enjoying at the expense of "Elephant and Castle" as we called the British central offices of health care. There was definitely a whole lot of learning for me about Xmas which has only continued to increase since then. Yes I sympathized with the new Muslim convert.


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