It’s started getting dark here quite early; winter seems to have truly set in. Come 5 pm, the feeble rays of the sun vanish all together to be replaced by the twinkling Christmas fairy lights (yes, the decorations are up already). As I walk through the winter wonderland created at the KaDeWe (Berlins equivalent of Harrods), I can’t help but miss my home and family. Diwali was a quiet affair on the sets. It was a day off for us. The actors along with our families and crew did Lakshmi Puja, offering thanks for the year that was and praying for a glorious new one. There is a beautiful Christmas holiday village set up right outside our hotel! Little stores selling roasted chestnuts and sugar coated almond clusters and warm mugs of mulled wine!
The world is gearing up for the biggest holiday in the west — Christmas! Being both Hindu and Catholic myself, I have had the good fortune of enjoying both traditions equally. Diwali was always a time of celebration and new clothes and puja and revelry and Christmas was always one of prayer and family and giving and very importantly, of food!
Christmas lunch at the Dutta household is legendary. In all my life no matter which part of the world I have been in, I have never spent a Christmas away from my family! A feast that is carefully planned months in advance
taking into account everyone’s favourite dishes (a lot, if your accounting for tastes that vary between the ages of 70 and 7!), a table groaning under the weight of Roast and stuffing and bakes and gravy and every imaginable delicacy! Over the years the numbers have increased, with family members being added and friends included. This year, I’ll be adding some of my own :-)
Talking about feasting, it’s important to talk about the other end of the spectrum too, a Detox! Before indulging in everything the holiday season includes, it’s important to make sure you prepare your system for all the overtime it’s going to be putting in! November is usually my month to get on a proper detox programme, do a meditation workshop to support it and generally re-charge and re-set my body, to make sure that it works well through the coming year! Will talk more on detoxes next week, until them, I’m going to finish up here in Berlin, and head home to launch my Yoga DVD next week! Excited about that! Lots of good stuff there! (Hopefully it will help you through your post Diwali, wedding, Christmas, New Year season!) Wishing you some holiday cheer and hope this coming year is a healthy, wholesome year for you all!
Talking about feasting, it’s important to talk about the other end of the spectrum too, a Detox! Before indulging in everything the holiday season includes, it’s important to make sure you prepare your system for all the overtime it’s going to be putting in! November is usually my month to get on a proper detox programme, do a meditation workshop to support it and generally re-charge and re-set my body, to make sure that it works well through the coming year! Will talk more on detoxes next week, until them, I’m going to finish up here in Berlin, and head home to launch my Yoga DVD next week! Excited about that! Lots of good stuff there! (Hopefully it will help you through your post Diwali, wedding, Christmas, New Year season!) Wishing you some holiday cheer and hope this coming year is a healthy, wholesome year for you all!