Christmas Cheer Takes Over Pune as Citizens Step Out on Long Weekend | Pune News – Times of India



Christmas Cheer Takes Over Pune as Citizens Step Out on Long Weekend | Pune News – Times of India

PUNE: Citizens flocked to the popular season’s hub of Camp all through Sunday evening, with no traffic being allowed to ply on the arterial MG Road from 7pm onwards as the countdown of a few hours to Christmas began.
Hordes of revelers were seen donning red Santa caps and sequined headbands shaped like reindeer antlers or Mickey Mouse ears; groups of families and friends strolled down the stretch, buying knick-knacks, eating street food, and clicking pictures.
A few groups of carol singers were spontaneously joined for songs by passersby indulging in the spirit of the festival. Many strangers were seen greeting each other with a smile and enthusiastic salutations of “Merry Christmas”, while also being cautious not to become easy targets for pickpockets.
Across town, the Balewadi High Street was also buzzing with crowds indulging in bar hopping or hanging out by the road to soak in the festive feeling. “I met my college friends in Camp for a while before heading for the Midnight Mass in St Patrick’s Church with my family on Christmas Eve. On Christmas Day, we usually have our relatives coming over for lunch cooked by my parents, while my sister and I help out. Everyone exchanges gifts. We spend the whole day laughing, joking, and just making merry,” said Anthony Marlowe, a resident of Salisbury Park.
Several housing societies also held their Christmas parties over the weekend for families to spend time together.
“We organized a small flea market in the clubhouse, where some residents put up a stall to sell home-made items, like pickles, crochet and knitted products, cakes and so on. One of the residents dressed up in a Santa costume and distributed gifts to all the children residing here. Youngsters sang Christmas carols, played music, and danced. Their energy and enthusiasm rubbed off on the senior citizens, too,” said Protima Bose, a resident of a housing society on NIBM-Undri Road.
Restaurants in the city have been seeing high footfall since Friday. Ganesh Shetty, president of the Pune Restaurants and Hoteliers Association (PRAHA), said, “Business has been good over the weekend ahead of Christmas. Last year, we got permission to service customers till 5am only for New Year’s Eve. This permission was granted at the last moment, so many restaurants closed around midnight, while only a handful of eateries in Baner, Koregaon Park and areas near IT hubs remained open till later. Thankfully this year, the permission has been given in advance and also included later deadlines for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, giving business the boost it needed.”
Shetty added, “Family restaurants are reporting full bookings over the long weekend, and long lines of walk-in customers can be seen waiting in front of eateries.”
The Christmas spirit was seen honoured across communities as a time to get together, feast, give gifts and enjoy. People of all faiths also visited churches.
“As an alumnus of Ornellas High School, I get to meet many of my batchmates at City Church’s Midnight Mass on December 24 every year. Days before the festival, there is a buzz on our WhatsApp group about meeting before the service, making plans for after, and so on. This year, many friends are travelling outstation with their families for the long weekend, but some staying back in the city are excited to meet up,” said Aniket Gaikwad, a resident of Rasta Peth.





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