Many believe Xmas should be celebrated the old fashion way

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MALACCA: Ask 68-year-old retiree Joseph D’Costa about Christmas at the Portuguese Settlement in Ujong Pasir and he will vehemently stress that the religious and traditional traits have been overshadowed by numerous commercial aspects and merry-making.

“It’s time we move away from the Christmas festival to a truly Christmas feast and appreciate the significance of the season while approaching it as a step in one’s growth and development of Christian lives,” said Joseph, a part time mango juice trader and long time resident of the setlement which was established in the 1930s.

His words and views were shared by Stephen Nonis, Jerry Alcantra and his wife Fendora.

The Santa’s Crew girls from the Portuguese Settlement in Ujong Pasir, Malacca, getting ready to go on their carolling rounds in the village.

An odd job worker, Stephen who takes time annually to put up his home crib, depicting the Nativity scene, said “Christ came at Christmas to bring joy. We should live this Christmas message through our involvement in the community, society together with the cares and concerns of our fellow brothers and sisters. It is Christ who brings joy, peace and blessings to the world”.

Jerry and Fendora believe that sticking to traditional elements when it comes to Christmas would help the younger generation understand the true meaning of the festive season.

“Christmas is about bringing joy, love and happiness to those around us. We pass this message through our involvement in the community.

Oh Christ mas tree: Children of Albert Hendricks and his neighbour’s children helping to put up the family’s Christmas tree decorations.

Christmas must always indicate the presence of Christ in the world at all times including with our lives’ sorrows, disappointments, failures and moments of joy,” he said.

The couple in recent years has grouped 30 young children including their own residing at the settlement to sing popular Christmas carols from home to home.

The group, tagged as ‘Santa’s Crew’ wear red outfits and also perform at major hotels and shopping centres in Malacca Raya.

“Usually, the young are associated with merry making during the season and we have brought back traditional practices like carolling in spreading the season’s joys.

“Traditions of old, like carolling and going to church seem to be dying out but we are making sure our young come to know of these practices and preserve them for the generations ahead,” added Fendora.

Christmas at the settlement, is like no other place in the country.

Having hosted the national Christmas open house celebrations twice, the season to be merry and jolly is observed with much gusto and fervour.

Getting merry: Edgar Fredricks (right) putting up his X’mas tree decorations with his wife Joan Eileen.

No expense is spared where decorations and lighting up of Christmas trees in homes are concerned.

With multi coloured bulbs, miniature and fancy lightings and related decorative paraphernalia both inside and outside homes, the setlement invariably turns into a large fairyland.

Even trees, potted plants, porches, balconies, fences, gates and compounds outside are not spared the illumination.

Large plastic toys and even moving ones depiciting everything from Santa Clauses, Santarinas, sleighs, snowmen, reindeers, ginger bread houses, bells of all shapes and sizes complete with wreaths, gold and silver tinsel balls, fancy trimmings, buntings and still more varied lighting illumination are all part and parcel of the Christmas makeup that envelopes the settlement.

Christmas is also when women folks bake and cook up many Portuguese cakes, delicacies and curry dishes using traditional home recipes preserved from bygone years. Among the traditional foodstuff are bolukoku, a cake made with coconut scrapings and agar agar, a type of jelly made from seaweed.

In the festive spirit: Lighted reindeers adorn this home’s verandah at the settlement.

Another seasonal cake is bluder, a butter-flour delicacy that is heavily spiced.

Also on the menu is the famed feng, a spicy combination of liver, pig’s tongue, intestines and pork, all finely sliced, while a beef preparation called semur is a must during family reunion dinners and lunches.

The settlement’s regedor Peter Gomes puts it “The overall atmosphere is simply spontaneous and the community revels in the festivity as if Christmas was made just for them. Also, the period is like homecoming with family members, relatives and friends returning from outstation and from abroad like Singapore, Australia and New Zealand to be with the community folks”.