KARACHI: Professor Inayatdin skillfully plays the piano as his daughter, Dr. Jennifer Maqbool, leads the family into singing a melodious Christmas carol. A Christmas tree adorned with decorations, bright lights throughout the house, and singing voices ensures there’s plenty of Christmas festivity in the air at this Karachi house.
Every year, millions of Christians around the world mark December 25 as the birthday of Jesus Christ, whom they believe to be the son of God and savior of humanity. For centuries, Christians have celebrated the event by getting together with friends and families, exchanging gifts, and cooking sumptuous meals.
Dr. Maqbool’s home in Pakistan’s southern port city of Karachi is no different.
“Love and peace and mankind; this is the message of Christmas,” Dr. Maqbool told Arab News. “And we are celebrating it here with fervor in Pakistan,” she added, placing an unbaked cake into her oven.
In the other room, children decorate the house with bright lights and vibrant decorations as Dr. Maqbool makes her way to the heart of the home – the kitchen – where the sweet aroma of Christmas awaits.
“Pakistanis enjoy Christmas very much. Christmas programs and the Christmas season start for us from the end of November,” Dr. Maqbool explained.
Pakistan is home to 2.63 million Christians, the third-largest religious community in the predominantly Muslim South Asian country. Pakistan’s Christian community starts preparing for the festive event before December begins.
These preparations, Dr. Maqbool said, include making snacks, baking cakes, buying Christmas gifts for friends and relatives, and organizing church plays, dramas, bonfires and carol parties.
“All this is a part of Christmas,” she said, smiling.
While the adults look forward to the mouth-watering dishes and desserts, the children’s minds are preoccupied with something else.
“The children have already written letters to Santa Claus for the gifts they want,” Dr. Maqbool said.
“And if they have been good, Santa Claus will be bringing gifts and hiding them in the house somewhere. And he will leave clues and they will then find their gifts.”
Mishal Munawar, one of the children and Dr. Maqbool’s relative, said she was decorating the Christmas tree in the house.
“The Christmas tree is very mandatory,” Munawar told Arab News. “We put lights, bells, gifts, toffees, and a small Santa Claus, and flowers.”
Sigil Shafiq is one of Dr. Maqbool’s many family friends who take part in the festivities a day before Christmas.
“We love to put on festive clothes,” Shafiq told Arab News. “We usually like to get bright colors for Christmas like red and blue and green. And we like to buy bangles and dangly earrings and we like to put henna,” she added.
Shafiq said they spend time getting ready for Christmas by visiting beauty parlors and getting facials.
“It’s a good time. We have fun doing it,” she said.
For Dr. Maqbool and other Christians around the world, Christmas brings with it friends and family members from far and wide.
“All my sisters lovingly come all the way from Dubai, from Australia, [and] from Canada. We have a big gathering in our house,” she said.
With only a day left before Christmas, excitement hangs heavy in the house. And Dr. Maqbool is quite pleased with all that has been achieved so far.
“A Merry Christmas to everybody from Pakistan, my beloved homeland my beloved country,” she said.