Christmas ambience at its pinnacle in Shillong

SHILLONG, Dec 23: With Christmas just a day away, Shillongites, after being subjected to months-long pandemic woes, have finally decided to get into the festive mood with many coming out in hordes for last-minute shopping.
Despite shops in Police Bazaar wearing a festive look on Wednesday evening with lights and decors, shopkeepers have bemoaned that their sales haven’t bloomed like last year. However, they expect to do a good business on Thursday.
Even Iewduh, the largest traditional market of the state, is witnessing a heavy footfall with the social distancing protocols getting thrown out of the window.
Several churches in Shillong have also been illuminated and decorated whilst the city has also been, for a past few days, witnessing traffic jams.
Different legislators and ministers besides police force and NGOs have, on the other hand, been on a distribution-of-materials spree to mark the festival.
However, when it comes to holding street carols in the city, it is the District Administration who has to give the green light.
Only recently, the Meghalaya and Greater Shillong progressive Hawkers & Street Vendors Association recently carolled all across the city.
The members of the association lit candles and sang the carol, Silent Night Holy Night, an old traditional carol to which they added their own verse, which was released on BIG FM Radio few days ago.
They also lit candles and paid a visit to Wah Sohlait Village under Hima Nongspung and distributed items like clothes, shoes, watches and earphones, et al. All in all, it was a take-what-you-need distribution.
They had also handed over sanitisers and COVID booklets to the Rangbah Shnong for the latter to distribute among the villagers.
DC directive on
bursting crackers
The East Khasi Hills District Magistrate has issued a slew of precautionary directives during Christmas.
According to a statement, the District Magistrate has “prohibited the sale, purchase and procurement of foreign-made firecrackers, use  of joined  firecrackers (series crackers or  laris) which cause  huge air,  noise and solid waste problems, the use of firecrackers generating noise level exceeding 125 dB (AI ) or 145 dB (C) pk at 4-metre distance from the point of bursting, bursting of crackers within 100 meters of hospitals, nursing homes, primary and district healthcare centers, educational   institutions, courts, religious places or any other areas which may have been declared as silence zones, and bursting of firecrackers  on the festival  days mentioned during timings other than  permitted  timings between 11:55 pm to 12:30 am.”