Sisters Georgette and Marguerite join Sisters Rose, Rily, Jessy, Treesa and Jaya around the “American” Christmas tree that the young Indian Sisters insisted their American counterparts have while spending the holidays in India. “What fun it was to go with Sisters Jessy and Rose to buy this tree!” says Sister Georgette.
Sister Marguerite can be seen in the foreground of this photo taken on Christmas Eve after the Sisters had processed by candlelight to the darkened dining room.
Celebrating Christmas a World Away
SISTERS EXCHANGE HOLIDAY CUSTOMS, CULTURE with counterparts in india
Sister Georgette Dublino
Sister Marguerite Stewart
Among their fondest holiday memories, Sisters Georgette Dublino and Marguerite Stewart hold dear time they spent celebrating Christmas with the young Sisters at our House of Formation in Kerala, India, in the 1990s. It was the first time American Sisters were there for this significant feast.
“During Advent we learned each other’s Christmas carols and taught the women to sing Silent Night in English,” Sister Georgette remembers.
“The girls taught us a few Malayalam carols, and we taught them a few English carols, as well,” adds Sister Margurite. “We would gather in the evening and sing in alternating languages. The one song we all knew was Jingle Bells.”
Sisters Georgette and Marguerite decorated the dining room, while the girls decorated the chapel. The Sisters went out and bought an artificial tree, but ornaments were not to be found, only garland and lights.
“We decorated with what we had, and the tree was lovely,” recounts Sister Marguerite. “When we looked at the trees in chapel, we realized why there were no ornaments. They had decorated the trees with brightly-colored balloons! They looked so bright and colorful.”
Both consider it a blessing to have experienced Christmas in another culture. While celebrating the birth of Jesus together was the same, the customs were quite different.
Here in the states, some towns have a tree-lighting ceremony. In Kerala, it was a church-lighting ceremony. One evening, people gathered in the church courtyard and, on the count, the entire Lourdes Cathedral, all outlined in lights, lit up. “It was breathtaking,” remembers Sister Marguerite.
The Sisters and young Indian women are so creative in song and dance, and so graceful. During the Christmas holidays they prepared a program, beautifully dancing the entire Christmas story.
“There was such joy and energy in them as we looked forward to the holy days and praying the Advent and Christmas prayers with the Sisters,” recalls Sister Georgette.
Everything was planned for the special day. Following Christmas Eve prayers, the Sisters walked single-file in procession — each carrying a lighted candle and singing a familiar carol — to the darkened dining room, which was lit only by the Christmas tree. Then the group shared our community custom of blessing and eating oplatky with each other.
Christmas dinner was very festive with traditional Indian foods. The meal was completed with a large, delicious cake. Traditional has it that the elder in the family blesses the cake, cuts it and distributes pieces to each family member. “I had the privilege of doing that,” says Sister Marguerite.
“I will always remember that powerful, spiritual time with our Sisters and young women in India,” says Sister Georgette. “What a wonderful Christmas experience it was to celebrate with 35 women discerning religious life!”
Sister Marguerite concurs. “I was fortunate to visit our Indian sisters many times – 18 times I think. I carry many wonderful memories of them in my heart.”
“What a wonderful Christmas experience it was to celebrate with 35 women discerning religious life!”
A small Nativity Scene adorns a homemade monstrance crafted by the Indian Sisters and placed in their Christmas tree., which is actually a branch taken from a real tree.