Christmas As It Used to Be, As It Should Be
TerraGreen|December 2023
In this article, Dr Elsa Lycias Joel reflects on her childhood Christmas experiences. She notes that modern living room conversations often focus on the bygone era when Christmas held more profound meaning than just cakes, gifts, and carol services. Despite concerns about the future decline of the Christmas spirit, she highlights the present season as an opportunity for connection, reconciliation, and meaningful conversations. The power of "Merry Christmas" becomes even merrier when shared with a small cake in hand.
Dr Elsa Lycias Joel
Christmas As It Used to Be, As It Should Be

Every year by the end of October, I receive frequent calls and emails from family and friends wanting to know what’s happening at my end or how Christmas is going to be or if I’ll visit my mom. Something about Christmas motivates people to connect. Then the conversation continues until Christmas gets over or we meet and make up for the lost months or maybe years. Two reasons behind all these are the closing down of offices and companies for Christmas or people exhausting their excessive leave balance. Whether we live in a village or a city or a town, Christmas brings an aura unknown to all irrespective of their faith or religion, as a result of which people transform into beautiful welcoming and hospitable beings. This season gives everyone an opportunity to build a connection, make amends over a wrong, conquer all inhibitions to invite and get invited for a good chat and try to resolve imaginary hostilities, all with those two words ‘Merry Christmas’, which sounds merrier with a small cake in hand. These magical 12 days of Christmas fly by as fast as the Peregrine Falcons and most people find themselves too busy to share a smile or a kind word, forget receiving a reply in one complete sentence.

This story is from the December 2023 edition of TerraGreen.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the December 2023 edition of TerraGreen.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM TERRAGREENView All
Mapping Flames Leveraging Remote Sensing and GIS for Forest Fire Prevention
TerraGreen

Mapping Flames Leveraging Remote Sensing and GIS for Forest Fire Prevention

Leveraging Remote Sensing and GIS for Forest Fire Prevention

time-read
5 mins  |
December 2024
Sustainability Practices and Their Significance in the Nutraceutical Industry
TerraGreen

Sustainability Practices and Their Significance in the Nutraceutical Industry

In this interaction with TerraGreen, Karthik Kondepudi, Partner, Herbochem, enlightens us on the significance of nutraceutical industry and how it could make noteworthy contributions towards mankind's quest towards sustainable development.

time-read
4 mins  |
December 2024
Why Aspiring Marketers Must Embrace Marketing Sustainability Practices?
TerraGreen

Why Aspiring Marketers Must Embrace Marketing Sustainability Practices?

A Snapshot of the Global Rising Trend

time-read
2 mins  |
December 2024
When Men and Mountain Meet Confluence of Unsustainable Tourism and Unsustainable Business
TerraGreen

When Men and Mountain Meet Confluence of Unsustainable Tourism and Unsustainable Business

With this article, Rajshekhar Pant, makes us aware of the threats mountains are receiving as an outcome of the unsustainable development practices. He exerts that the inappropriate development despite taking a big toll, has blinded both the high-ups and commoners to such an extent that no one wants to say that tourism also brings trouble as long as it serves the purpose—need of the visitors and greed of the locals.

time-read
6 mins  |
December 2024
Art from Electric Trash
TerraGreen

Art from Electric Trash

A New Dimension to the Sustainable Development

time-read
4 mins  |
December 2024
COP29 Key Outcomes and Challenges
TerraGreen

COP29 Key Outcomes and Challenges

This article by Arvind Kumar brings to us the major takeaways from the COP29. The author establishes how climate finance is the prerequisite for the effective realization of the ambitious climate action.

time-read
7 mins  |
December 2024
Future of Climate Change Negotiations Emerging Clues from the COP29
TerraGreen

Future of Climate Change Negotiations Emerging Clues from the COP29

This article penned by Dr Vibha Dhawan and Mr R. R. Rashmi highlights the major takeaways of the recently concluded COP29. It serves the dual purpose of both light and sight. The authors' unbiased analysis reinforces our comprehension of the shortcomings of the environment summit that gave rise to the consequential outcomes. They opinethe most relevant COP in the coming years will be the COP 2028. As India has proposed to host the COP in 2028, it will have to play a decisive role not only in shaping the character of emerging global governance of climate change, but also in bringing together the international community against the climate change.

time-read
9 mins  |
December 2024
From Coastal Hamlet to International Port The Time Tells a Tale
TerraGreen

From Coastal Hamlet to International Port The Time Tells a Tale

This article by Gajanan Khergamker makes us co-passengers in the journey of Karanja Port. Earlier neglected and insignificant, Karanja, with its deep harbour, abundant land, and proximity to Mumbai, emerged as a viable solution in the government's quest for another port in Mumbai's vicinity. This marked a new beginning for the coastal fishing community.

time-read
7 mins  |
December 2024
New Research Drought Impacts on Wildlife Can Inform Conservation Strategies
TerraGreen

New Research Drought Impacts on Wildlife Can Inform Conservation Strategies

A new research has established that many wildlife species will face much more frequent and severe droughts in the future. By 2050-80, year-long droughts could happen almost five times as often, and three-year droughts almost seven times as often compared to past decades. These changes will require animals to adapt significantly. Scientists have identified areas with high biodiversity and high risk that can help managers focus attention for conservation efforts. The south-western US is a critical area where many species will be more affected by increased droughts.

time-read
2 mins  |
December 2024
The Cooling Paradox How Our Quest for Comfort Fuels Climate Change?
TerraGreen

The Cooling Paradox How Our Quest for Comfort Fuels Climate Change?

This article written by Shaurya Anand sheds light on the urgency of striking a balance between energy generation, energy consumption, and environment when it comes to meeting our cooling needs. The author guides us how our dependency on cooling equipment fuels climate change and what solutions we can explore for a cooler and greener future.

time-read
6 mins  |
December 2024