Santa’s sack full of tech goodies

It is that time of the year when Santa returns and fulfills our hopes and wishes. Celebs talk about how the tradition and the spirit of Xmas is still alive but the goodies have gone hi-tech!

We have always celebrated Christmas the traditional way by hanging big socks, a day prior to the Christmas eve for Santa to fill it with candies and goodies. My kids follow the same tradition even now. In the past, we have always made sure that they cherish each moment of the festival of joy rather than expecting materialistic gifts. Santa Claus was a huge deal for them and getting any present from him (be it even a small candy) was a moment of happiness.

— Shallu Jindal, dancer

The notion of a man who flies around the world in a vehicle drawn by flying hoofed mammals, entering people’s homes through their chimneys and delivering presents, all within the span of a single night, is highly improbable, to say the least, yet we all believe in Santa Claus. I, too, went through that phase believing in this magical man. Exchange of goodies are a long-standing tradition in my family even now because it reinforces good values, and the spirit of Christmas and Santa Claus. I got to know quite late in my life that my nani used to be the real Santa Claus. I used to ask for chocolates and clothes but these days kids ask for electronic cars and expensive gadgets.

— Tara Alisha Berry, actress

When I was young, I always felt that Santa was a magical man and I wished that he got me new clothes and toys come Christmas. I was extremely greedy as a child. From toys to clothing and other goodies, my list of goodies had columns and sub columns full of options. I would also secretly hope that I’d get the latest versions from all the options and whatever I didn’t get, would get carried forward to the next year. But now, we live in a new age, where iPads and Vine stars are a thing. Luckily my little nephew is still young and has been expecting to get a Panda Bear, and I had been searching a Panda Bear stuffed toy all over the city. i

— Shoaib Ibrahim, actor

Christmas in London was always special, and it still is as memorable as I had imagined. I used to get what my parents thought was best for me and surprisingly I loved each and every gift that I got, and so did my brother. In present times, the list has changed, expectations are changing and getting upgraded. I believe Santa must be working overtime.

— Karishma Kotak, actor

Christmas has always been a special affair for my family, as my birthday also falls on the 25th. As a kid, I would always wish that Santa would throw me a big party and that I would get double the amount of gifts, which would then add up to two celebrations on one day. For kids, I think Santa Clause isn’t the only mythical figure that they believe in; there is the Tooth Fairy, the Easter Bunny and other fairy-tale creatures as well. The Santa story is also deeply embedded in popular culture, with Santa showing up at shopping malls and in plenty of TV shows and movies, the only difference that I observe is the change in the items that appear on the wish list. Chocolates have been replaced by iPhones, I guess.

— Nandish Sandhu, actor

During our growing up years, I remember my parents getting us meaningful gifts that were mostly educational items but at the same time, memorable too. But today, that has been replaced with high-tech gizmos that also get redundant once the next big thing is released, condemning the cherished item to the bin. I guess in the coming years, gifts comprising iPads and Playstations will become a norm.

— Astha Khetan, founder, www.thehouseofthings.com

My three and a half year old son believes that there are many versions of Santa. The fat, funny, fairy tale one. The ones he finds walking in malls. The one in his school and in dad’s office. The ones that ring the bell of the house and don’t disappear immediately. Thin, funny ones. Fat, short ones. And the list continues. For him the “real Santa” won’t come secretly at night. Rather he would appear in broad daylight on 25th morning. That’s his grandfather. And the gift this Santa will bring for him is his “Mamma”, the grandmother. As much as you commercialise it, I guess children comprehend Santa with their innocence and love, exactly like he should be.

— Koral Dasgupta, author

Christmas is beyond any religion. It’s like the dawn of new hope. Back in the 90s, I would write elaborate cards to those who mattered. Now, I send them sweet stickers on networking sites. And as for my little girl, this crazy mom scheduled her C-section birth on 24th as a Christmas gift to herself! Such is the spirit and joy that Christmas brings in one’s life. — Salloli Kumar, socialite

My Christmas memories go back to my convent school days in Delhi. Since my school used to celebrate Christmas in a big way with a special Christmas lunch, I knew more about the festival than any other Hindu festival! Having said that, Christmas for me was all about the yummy cakes and puddings and not the gifts. And coming to Santa, well my mom was always my Santa Clause. She would plan one big gift for me towards the end of the year, be it a play station, some sports equipment or a coaching camp, whatever it was it was always practical. I have seen a huge shift with regards to goodie bags as I have been blessed with two nephews. I love to spoil them. I bought my nephew a brand new bicycle, which is more expensive than the bike that I ride. — Salil Acharya, actor

Xmas used to be always the most exciting of festivities, as it was that time of the year when we got awesome gifts. And those were the gifts that we really wished for and wanted. We didn’t pay much attention to brands, price tags, etc. I always got new clothes and chocolates, as I was truly fond of them. My niece is a newborn so I don’t know what she will wish for when she grows up but I am pretty sure it would be something elaborate.

— Deepika Singh, actor

I was one of those lucky kids whose mom used to get a special X-mas tree every year that we used to decorate together. I don’t know about today’s generation but I had always reasoned with my mother about chubby Santa and how could he also see the world via cameras positioned all over the place etc. And talking about goodies, I was quite into robots and video games so every year I used to get the latest versions of them. These days my nephews ask us for ipads and iphones for gifts. It is fascinating to see how kids have become tech addicts. — Tanuj Virwani, actor