Agartala: Dec 25: We all know how important Christmas Eve is to the followers of Christian faith but very few people know that Christmas Eve is also celebrated in a befitting manner in all centres of Ramakrishna Math and the Ramakrishna Mission which stand as a unique symbol of harmony of faiths. On this day in the prayer hall of Dhaleshwar Ramakrishna temple of Agartala, the photos of baby Jesus and that of Lord Jesus were placed in an altar and worshipped as the hall was decorated with balloons, stars, lighting and Christmas trees. A monk performs a special Christmas Eve aarti with candles and offers cakes, biscuits, breads, tea, chocolate etc to Christ. Carols were sung followed by short addresses by a monk speaking on why the Christmas Eve is very special in the Ramakrishna Mission. In the year 1886, about four months after Sri Ramakrishna’s exit from this world, Swami Vivekananda along with eight of his disciples gathered at a village called Antpur in the Hooghly district of West Bengal upon the invitation of Matangini Devi, the mother of one of his brother disciples. They didn’t even know it was Christmas Eve. A tremendous spirit of renunciation was raging in their hearts. After sunset they lighted a fire which is called Dhuni by traditional Hindu monks and sat around it to meditate. After meditating a long time Swami Vivekananda opened his eyes and spoke about the extraordinary life of sacrifice of Jesus Christ and exhorted his brother monks to take up the vows of renunciation and service keeping fire as witness. The next morning they realised that the previous evening was the sacred Christmas Eve. Since then slowly the Christmas Eve has become one of the important celebrations of the Ramakrishna Order. Devotee those who took part in the celebration expressed that the birth of Jesus Christ and his life has been an inspiration to humanity to follow the message of love, compassion, fraternity and today, when the world finds itself tormented by strife, hatred, and violence, his words and deeds have the power to heal wounds and show the way out.
Moreover, Christmas is a day of celebration of human values that nurture mutual caring and sharing and transform life itself into a festival. Today monks and devotees of Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission across the globe celebrates this occasion with due solemnity.
