Christmas celebrations organised by BAV seniors – Written by Swapna Bagal
Christmas is a time when Australian families come together to celebrate. Planning an event like this by BAV seniors brought the community people: adults, kids and seniors together was a great idea that enhanced the spirit of togetherness & bonding. It brought joy and smiles to many faces. The duration between Diwali and Poila Baisakh is generally a quieter time, hence organising an event like this was a great idea.
It was surreal to see the participation and enthusiasm from the kids and seniors alike. Kids were very sincere into their roles, and it made the event quite interesting. The event was organised carefully, at the same time it gave everyone ample of opportunities and freedom to bring in their thoughts and ideas to the table. It was kept simple yet a beautiful collaboration of members from decorating the stage, organising the hall, gifts from Santa and more.
We will thank all the 43 participants and several volunteers who worked behind the scenes to make this a success. The event rolled with the seats taken and one after another we witnessed the session unfolding, from the music by the core choir team, candle march, Shanti Mantra, singing (Sangacchadwan, written by Shri Rabindranath Tagore), dancing (Anandoloke, Chol Chol Chol & Prabhu Amaro), stretching/ meditation, quiz, recitation, and many more.
The session came to an end with Christmas carols and families came with a plate to share. At the end, we could hear, lots of adda, laughter & joy over some great food.
It will be good to see BAV plan more events like this especially on events like Independence Day, Republic Day, Holi & more, as the next-gen kids needs to know more of the rich Indian culture that we bring to the world.