HYDERABAD: Houses decorated with lights, stars and pine trees, homes full of relatives and friends chatting and laughing over a lavish feast, streets bustling with sales, churches alive with carols and people packing up to fly home to be with family. This is what Decembers looked like until a year ago.
The Covid-19 pandemic spelt doom across the globe. Now, news of the Omicron variant creeping into India has left many worried. But churches, choirs and families in Hyderabad are gearing up to not let the virus throw cold water on their plans, some that they have been making for months now. They share with CE about the various ways they’re trying to spread cheer and not virus!
Carolling is an integral part of the Christmas festivities. Churches visit homes to sing and pray together, but Covid meant cancelled carol plans. But here’s what churches in the city plan to do.
“We will not be going to people’s homes this year, because of the virus. But, what we’ll be doing instead is have families from different areas in the city, come together on different days of the week and have them sing carols. They can gather over for snacks and tea too,” shares Prabodh Dasari, treasurer of the CSI Centenary Wesley Church, Ramkote.
The church has been and will continue to live stream all of its upcoming programs for people to watch from home. The Baptist Church in Narayanguda plans to do the same. David Manohar V, the secretary, shares, “We decided to not visit homes in a time like this. We will, however, have people visit the church and have a separate day dedicated to carols singing.”
Smaller churches like Mennonite Brethren Bethel Church in Musheerabad hope to continue visiting homes for carolling. “We will gather in small groups and follow all the standard protocols laid down by the government,” says Rev David Zephaniah, senior pastor at the church.
The oldest choirs in the city, Tabernacles and the Festival Choristers, have been longing to perform for Hyderabadis for over a year now, but the virus hasn’t stopped them from spreading love and joy through their voices.
“All the choristers have recorded their voices and videos from their homes, and put them together to release them soon,” says an excited Aruna Bahuguna, former NPA director and co-founder of Festival Choristers.
Zubin Gibson, director of The Tabernacles choir, shares, “We recorded our songs in a studio and will be streaming it on December 4.” Families and small groups of friends have also been making plans to visit each others’ homes for private carol gigs. Covid can’t stop Christmas, believe Hyderabadis!
Carolling gets a twist
Carolling is an integral part of the Christmas festivities. Churches visit homes to sing and pray together, but Covid meant cancelled carol plans. But, this year, churches in the city plan to call people over in batches. They can sing carols and catch up with each other over for snacks and tea too