One of the Christmas menus offered at Hilton
Shops, hotels and the rest are optimistically planning to catch up on what they missed out last year. Festive fare is carefully planned out for the coming weeks. But beneath it all there is still unrest. The war by no means is over. But closer to the hearts of the public is the issue of the ever increasing cost of living
The month of December is here. Traditionally the first of December heralds the coming of Christmas - and the season of good cheer, gaiety, over-eating and over spending. In certain areas of the country- especially in the western coastal belt where Christians are abundant- midnight on November 30 is greeted with bursts of fire crackers to signify the dawning of the month of Christmas. Already many shops and hotels have decided on what they will be offering to the customers. Christmas decor, holly and cyprus wreaths and artificial Christmas trees are coming up in shop windows adding to the seasonal spirit. Even households are sprucing-up for the coming season. The more old fashioned have even begun shopping for the many ingredients that go to make the traditional Christmas cake.
Take the newspaper advertisements. Already smiling Santa Claus faces and green-and-red Christmas trees have begun appearing on the spots. Notices of seasonal sales flood ones senses. And Christmas is still 25 days away.
Last year's festive season was marred by the conflict going on in the North and East. Talk of the need for the country to be on a war footing and repeated attacks on targets close to Colombo resulted in a low- key Christmas where many of the planned functions were cancelled at the last moment and people were content ( or forced ) to celebrate the occasion with a little less aplomb than usual.
This year apparently, shops, hotels and the rest are optimistically planning to catch up on what they missed out last year. Festive fare is carefully planned out for the coming weeks. Sales and surprises galore will be the feature of the ever increasing commercial facet of Christmas cheer. But beneath it all there is still unrest. The war by no means is over. Right throughout this year it has in fact been bloodier and fiercer than ever. But closer to the hearts of the public is the issue of the ever increasing cost of living. The prices of most goods- termed as essential - have sky rocketed right throughout the year and past experience tells us that the festive season is when all food commodities are at their peak price. With many backs already cracking under the burden of day to day living one wonders whether the season of good cheer will really be all that it should.
Several hotels in the city speaking to The Sunday Times about their plans for the season expressed optimism that this year's Christmas will be better than in yesteryears "We are going ahead with our plans for Christmas. The schedule of banquets has already been finalised," Yasmin Cader, Manager Public Relations at Colombo Hilton hotel said. She said that so far the preparations have taken off well and that there are heavy bookings for private functions during the month of December. The hotel has already prepared a brochure for the holiday season with the menus for the Christmassy banquets and lists of hampers.
Trans Asia Hotel also had put out their booklet of goodies offered for the season last week. They offer traditional fare right throughout the Christmas week and visitors are also afforded a chance to be photographed with Santa Claus.
Lasantha de Silva, Manager Food and Beverages at the Holiday Inn said, "Our New Year's Eve dance is very popular and preparations are now underway for that event. There will also be lobby dances, carols and a Christmas day brunch. Our banquet hall is booked up for seven to ten functions every day during the holiday season," de Silva said.
Shopping complexes and large retail shops are not to be left behind for long. Most shop windows are donning the familiar red, green and gold colours in a variety of seasonal shapes. Cardboard reindeer drag along a fake carriage with a stuffed Santa across a shop window speckled with white cotton wool to give a snowed-in effect. Others go for a more modern type of twig Christmas tree decorated with simple red stars. Airy lobbies are livened up with lanterns and decorative trails. Santa himself makes the occasional appearance with a bell and a sack full of goodies.
"We have already done the Christmas decor at our outlets" Tara Chandiram proprietess of Odel, the popular chain of fashion boutiques in Colombo said. "There is a gift wrapping counter set up, a card stall and a wide range of new garments for the festive season. She added that she was quite satisfied with the way the products are moving and that she does not see a lean period ahead.
But these optimistic sentiments were not echoed by several housewives that we spoke to. Most complained of the rising cost of living and claimed that it is too expensive nowadays to afford the traditional grand Christmas fare.
With the cost of living well set on its way up, retail prices of most foods have been steadily increasing. While the price of vegetables came down last month the same cannot be said for rice, coconut, meat, fish and eggs. An egg which was at Rs.3/-, a few months ago has shot up to Rs. 4.20. Rice prices have also increased rather drastically. According to the monthly bulletin put out by the ARTI ( Agrarian Research and Training Institute) the price of Samba has increased by 15 % and the price of red rice by 30% compared to November last year.
Although the CWE (Co-operative Wholesale Establishment) has assured that ample stocks of food commodities are made available in anticipation for the festive season, there is apparently little control over the price increases. With the sudden spiral in gas prices the cost of living as a whole is rising. People are also not promised salary hikes or grand bonuses due to the stagnant state of the economy.
Aloma Fernando from Dehiwala said that Christmas this year will definitely be on a lower scale. "Usually we make the cake by the end of November but this year everything is postponed because of the prices. "The mother of one young boy, Aloma said that because of the child they have to celebrate it in some form, despite the cost.
Priyanthi de Silva, an English teacher from Ratmalana said, "Salaries do not increase but prices are going up all the time. One finds it difficult to celebrate anything."
Mrs. Beling, mother of five children said that even with the exorbitant prices one has to celebrate Christmas because it is essentially a family affair. "Generally people get bonuses and try to manage through that extra money," she said.
Robin Wijewardana, a businessman who owns a restaurant said that business was rather lean despite the approaching festive season. He said that personally his family would be celebrating the event in a low key fashion this year. "Nowadays Christmas is based on money," he said. "Those who can afford it will celebrate and those who don't cannot afford it. He said he has still not planned for anything special at the Royal Park Inn which he owns.
So as the clock slowly ticks away the days, the buzz of activity preparing for Christmas will heighten. Entertainment and commercial industries will do their utmost to capitalise on the festive spirit. But it is obvious that the money flow is very short these days. People are certainly feeling more than a pinch due to the rising prices. Also no one can really ignore the cloud of war that over shadows the entire country. It might be after all a silent Christmas, as Aloma Fernando put it, because most would not be able to go to town with the celebrations as they would like, for reasons well beyond their control.
On Tuesday, December 10, a new illustrated book on Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka - the Emerald Island will be launched at the Alliance Francaise de Colombo under the patronage of Dharmasiri Senanayake Minister of Media, Tourism and Aviation. The photographs are by Devika Gunasena and the text by Tissa Devendra. The idyllic and picturesque emerald isle of Sri Lanka has long evoked fascination. This last remnant of a great prehistoric continent now sunk in the deep ocean has drawn visitors to its shores since ancient times. Resplendent visuals shot by the renowned photographer, Devika Gunasena, brilliantly capture the spectacular beauty of its distinct form of Buddhism. Tissa Devendra's text complements the work of the photographer, by taking the reader on a voyage through the history of the island, giving pride of place to its vibrant people who are seen as the protagonists of this history. Tissa Devendra writes with a light and felicitous touch on Sri Lanka's art and culture and on life as an administrator in the provinces where he spent most of his thirty-year career as a senior civil servant and UN official. He is a graduate of the Universities of Ceylon and Cambridge. He now chairs Sri Lanka's national Public Service Commission and lives in Colombo with his wife. This book is written for his son, daughter and grandson. Devika Gunasena married Ananda - scion of major publishing house in Sri Lanka soon after leaving school. After bringing up their three children, one of whom is now an architect, Devika's latent artistic skills flourished. She became an accomplished sitarist, painter and interior decorator. Five years ago she discovered her real artistic mode of expression - photography. She is now an outstanding photographer whose works show the eye of a true artist in their colour and composition. She has travelled widely in Sri Lanka and India with her camera. This book is Devika's bouquet to her beautiful motherland. In his foreword to "Sri Lanka - The Emerald Island", Dr. Arthur C. Clarke writes: I do not know how many times I've been asked, "Why do you live in Sri Lanka?" This book saves me a good many thousand words of explanation, as it gives an excellent idea of the island's extraordinary appeal....and always it is the same; the splendour of palm trees leaning over the white sand, the warm sun sparkling on the waves as they break on the inshore reef, the outrigger fishing boats drawn up high on the beach. This alone is real; the rest is but a dream from which I shall presently awake.
Continue to Plus page 2 -The dice of power: what's on the cards for legalised gambling? *Let the aroma blend and linger on
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