By Ratan Bhattacharjee
Roy L. Smith once said: “He who has no Christmas in his heart will never find it under a tree.”
Whenever I think of the Christmas tree, I cannot forget the treetops in Shillong kissed by cold cloudlets. The Meghalaya capital, in spite of its sunny noon and the blue sky, can be called the City of Clouds.
During Christmas, we all bask in a magical fantasy be it Shillong or Kolkata, the City of Joy. A majority of the people in Shillong are Christians but more Christians call Kolkata their home. Still, it can be assumed that Shillong has the perfect Christmas ambience for visitors with carols ringing in 
the ears long after the festival blends into the New Year.
In Shillong, you’ll find cosy shops offering holiday gifts for everyone on your list. Then, grab a bite from one of the many fabulous restaurants. Even the pickiest eaters will find something they enjoy! Offering outdoor activities like visiting the waterfalls and wonderful sights of Sohra and Mawsynram will also keep everyone in your family busy amid Christmas bells, holly and other festive paraphernalia on sale as shoppers flock to the markets.
A decked-up Shillong donning mesmerising lights and other creative decorations welcome visitors till January 3. The lights will be turned on from 5 pm to midnight daily. Shillongites will immerse themselves in the ecstasy of Christmas. The cityscape bathes in lights and other goodness awaiting the arrival of the festival. Several churches, commercial buildings and streets in Police Bazar are decorated like no place else.
In Kolkata, Christmas is more a secular celebration for non-Christians beyond Park Street, 
Bandel Church, St Mary’s and St. Jones. Such celebrations seem more solemn. The fragrance of cakes and flowers is, however, the same in both Kolkata and Shillong during the Christmas celebration.
Christmas in Kolkata was initially concentrated in the Park Street area, where the largest dedicated Christmas carnivals in India were celebrated. The themed lighting starts at St. Xavier’s College and ends at Jawaharlal Nehru Road. This has been extended in recent years at both ends – up to the Mullick Bazar crossing on Park Street and up to St. Paul’s Cathedral on Cathedral Road, an offshoot of Jawaharlal Nehru Road.
Another offshoot of celebrations and lighting has been extended till Vardaan Market on Camac Street. This themed lighting is designed by artisans from the nearby town of Chandannagar. Bands and various choir groups perform on the stage at Allen Park on Park Street and the church near Birla Planetarium. Christmas parades are also organised on one of the days in which school children participate.
The Kolkata Christmas Festival (KCF) was started in 2011 by the Tourism Department of the government of West Bengal, in association with the Christian community. The choir of Dr Graham’s Homes School from Kalimpong, the Calcutta Symphony Orchestra from the Calcutta School of Music and other choirs perform at the KCF. Singers such as Usha Uthup who love Kolkata and celebrate the city in their songs entertain the audience during this period. Besides solo singers, bands such as Barefoot, Krosswindz, and Orient Express have performed live at KCF over the years. A large Christmas tree is placed near Mother Teresa’s statue at the Park Street-Camac Street crossing. Park Street is converted to a ‘walk-only’ road on Christmas eve, Christmas day, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day to allow the revellers to 
walk freely and greet each other.
Christmas today encompasses nearly the whole of Kolkata to make it truly a city of joy. In Darjeeling, Christmas is whiter because of the snowfall; not so in Shillong although almost at the same altitude. While one stands in Park Street on the night of December 25, one may not feel like being in a place different from Shillong except for the nip in the air.
Shillong generally attracts more tourists during Christmas. Their presence makes Shillong a mini-India during the festival. Kolkata, on the other hand, has so many local revellers that there’s hardly any space for tourists.
Shillong is not far behind Kolkata on the entertainment front. One of the reasons is the Shillong Chamber Choir, whose 2021 album ‘Come Home Christmas’ was a superhit. Apart from local bands, choirs from Kalimpong and Darjeeling enrich the Christmas mood in Kolkata.
While Christmas in Kolkata is more about fun, it is a solemn affair in Shillong in keeping with the culture and heritage of Meghalaya. Shillong’s celebration reminds one of Charles Dickens, who wrote in ‘A Christmas Carol’: “I will honour Christmas in my heart and try to keep it all year long.”
(Ratan Bhattacharjee, a former international visiting professor in the USA and a contributor at The Shillong Times)