Jingle Balle

Sadhu and Santa in Allahabad (via ToI)

The cast of Goodness Gracious Me would like to remind you that Santa Claus is from Jalandhar:

Akshay Kumar plays another Punjabi Santa singing ‘Jingle Balle’ in a promo for the upcoming movie Namaste London:

My friend Mitra Kalita, who’s moved from D.C. to Delhi to start up the Hindustan Times’ new financial paper, was startled to see brown Santas:

Moving to India was worth it just to give Naya a picture with an Indian Santa today… As I dropped her off at school, he was just applying a white beard over his brown face. [Link]

Never fear, Hinduism’s all-assimilating maw has not overlooked December 25th. Everyone loves a party:

Christmas tree at Infiniti mall, Andheri

I’m still coming to grips with having only three seasons in Bombay — hot, rainy and perfect. Religious festivals are the real seasons here, markers for your memories.

Diwali here was fab and bigger than South Street. I don’t miss Christmas commercialism or the wave of crap Tim Allen flicks and dark anti-Christmas ones. But I do miss getting cheap tickets and empty seats when flying on the 25th. I miss the loss of Thanksgiving and a certain chill in the air. Religion aside, it’s what I grew up with, the metronome of my childhood.

It’s 75 and sunny. Merry tropical Christmas.