<p>The chill may be in. But so is the warmth. Mere Merry Christmas greetings are enough for strangers to bond. Handclasps, in fact, will get firmer. Misers turn spendthrifts when it comes to giving away to those who pass their hats around.<br /><br />Joy and excitement are written all over the City this Christmas. Shops across the City are ringing Jingle Bells, and selling lovely gifts and flooding households with decorative knick-knacks, especially designed for the festival. As always, star hotels and restaurants have been the first to catch the festive fever and it is sure to last till the turn of the year.<br />Christmas has undoubtedly become one of the most popular festival in the City. <br /><br />But how relevant is Christmas for the young people? What are youngsters doing this Christmas? Are they merely going to church to attend the mass or spending time with friends and family or driving off to the outskirts of the City?<br /><br />Youngsters say that they would rather spend their time with their friends and family rather than go out and splurge. <br /><br />Seventeen-year-old Nikitha Prabhakar, a Mount Carmel College student, is particular about spending Christmas with her parents. She says: “Christmas means a family reunion. I spend my time with my cousins and later we all settle down for a lavish feast. I look forward to Christmas every year.” <br /><br />Sam Kingsley Joshua doing his M Com at St Joseph’s College says, “Christmas never loses its relevance because it’s the only occasion when the family comes together. I never miss church and thereafter it’s family time and I also invite my friends over in the evening for a small bash.” <br /><br />Seventeen-year-old Karun Chandy says Christmas means recollecting old memories and spending quality time with family. “It helps to do something memorable, even if it is small. It’s an excuse for the family to come together, which is otherwise not possible because of our busy lives,” says Karun.</p>
<p>The chill may be in. But so is the warmth. Mere Merry Christmas greetings are enough for strangers to bond. Handclasps, in fact, will get firmer. Misers turn spendthrifts when it comes to giving away to those who pass their hats around.<br /><br />Joy and excitement are written all over the City this Christmas. Shops across the City are ringing Jingle Bells, and selling lovely gifts and flooding households with decorative knick-knacks, especially designed for the festival. As always, star hotels and restaurants have been the first to catch the festive fever and it is sure to last till the turn of the year.<br />Christmas has undoubtedly become one of the most popular festival in the City. <br /><br />But how relevant is Christmas for the young people? What are youngsters doing this Christmas? Are they merely going to church to attend the mass or spending time with friends and family or driving off to the outskirts of the City?<br /><br />Youngsters say that they would rather spend their time with their friends and family rather than go out and splurge. <br /><br />Seventeen-year-old Nikitha Prabhakar, a Mount Carmel College student, is particular about spending Christmas with her parents. She says: “Christmas means a family reunion. I spend my time with my cousins and later we all settle down for a lavish feast. I look forward to Christmas every year.” <br /><br />Sam Kingsley Joshua doing his M Com at St Joseph’s College says, “Christmas never loses its relevance because it’s the only occasion when the family comes together. I never miss church and thereafter it’s family time and I also invite my friends over in the evening for a small bash.” <br /><br />Seventeen-year-old Karun Chandy says Christmas means recollecting old memories and spending quality time with family. “It helps to do something memorable, even if it is small. It’s an excuse for the family to come together, which is otherwise not possible because of our busy lives,” says Karun.</p>
