GUWAHATI, Dec 20 - With Christmas and New Year festivities round the corner, Yuletide spirit has gripped Guwahati city, with churches, shopping malls and streets being decorated with dazzling lights and colourful streamers.
Every year, Guwahati celebrates Christmas with great enthusiasm, where people irrespective of caste, community and age groups take part in the festivities. Church members and groups of young men and women have already started door-to-door carol singing.
City markets, teeming with shoppers selecting Christmas goodies right from decorative items to clothes, accessories, food items, et al, are making the most of the festive season.
Several kiosks have come up in the city exclusively selling Christmas items like stars of several sizes, Christmas trees, Santa Claus, Christmas bells, caps, streamers, balloons and several other items.
�Varieties of Santa Clauses, from the traditional one with a bag filled with gifts to the modern version of a musical and dancing Santa, are very popular among customers. The rates vary according to the special features. The consumers, however, do not hesitate to indulge a bit in the last festival of the year,� said a shopkeeper selling Christmas goodies in the Silpukhuri area of the city.
Similarly, apparel shops are also doing brisk business, with everyone, especially the youngsters, looking for that perfect look on the Christmas and New Year�s Eve.
�The city is in a happy mood and along with the Christians, the non-Christians like us also enjoy the festival a lot,� said Smita Goswami, a college student. �It is a time to go out with friends and socialise with friends, family members and neighbours. For us, this time of the year is all about eating out and merry making.�
Market places and shopping malls are trying every bit to ensure a high footfall during the festive season.
