Celina Jaitly Haag, who is in Austria with her family currently, will celebrate Christmas at home as Europe is in lockdown mode. “We have all had a tough time this year, but we must still try to celebrate the little joys in life. This year, we will all be at home. I am looking forward to the special Christmas turkey that my husband, Peter, prepares every year. There will be loads of fondue for my kids, too. I’ll also be baking the Christmas cake and cookies,” she shares.

Celina, who has spent a major portion of her childhood in Kolkata, has loads of Xmas memories from the City of Joy. Reminiscing the Christmas revelry, she says, “From buying Christmas trees from an elderly Chinese uncle in New Market, getting delicious cakes from a Jewish bakery, the dazzle of Park Street to getting together with friends at old British clubs, I miss everything about Christmas in Kolkata. The slight nip in the air gives you that tingly feeling of Christmas cheer. I am so grateful for all the Christmas celebrations with my sons and husband in a picture-perfect Alpine home in Austria, but Kolkata will always hold my mother’s laughter, the clink of ice in my father’s crystal glass, my best friend Viraaj’s crazy Christmas plans and seeking blessing from Mother Teresa at her residence.”

She adds, “No amount of joyful European snow-capped cheer can stop you from missing the warmth of your mother’s shawl at a Christmas party in Fort William.”

Crediting her roots for the person she has become today, Celina says, “I wish to pass on my culture to my children.”