IT WAS “already beginning to look a lot like Christmas” in Sarawak even long before the official liturgical season of Advent came to be.
The beginning of the season of Advent, or Christmastide, according to the Church calendar this year, fell on November 27 – marking the First Sunday of Advent.
This period of Advent consisting of the three Sundays following November 27 also encompasses 'The Twelve Days of Christmas' beginning on December 25.
The Christmas season officially ends with the 'Feast of The Epiphany' at the end of the first week of January 2023.
For Christians everywhere, the season of Advent is a period of waiting and expectation for the birth of Christ and the Nativity of the Infant Saviour.
During this season, Christian homes and hearts are prepared physically and spiritually to welcome the birth of Jesus on Christmas Day.
In Sarawak and in Sabah, where Christians make up the larger population – this period of 'waiting and expectation' begins a little earlier, from mid-October onwards.
This is when church choirs begin to gather weekly to practice singing Christmas hymns and carols, thereby setting the mood for the Yuletide spirit to kick in.
In the Bidayuh heartland of Kampung Quop, 10km from Kuching, the Christmas mood came alive when parishioners of the St James Anglican Church congregated to celebrate “The Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols on December 4”.
This festival, specific to the Anglican Church (Church of England), is a unique form of Christian worship, traditionally celebrated on Christmas Eve or on any of the days leading to Christmas.
This festival, in 9 short bible verses traces the history of the fall of man, the promise of the Messiah, and the birth of Jesus, interspersed with the singing of Christmas hymns and carols.
According to Simon E. Jaboh, the choir coordinator of St James Church, the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols goes a long way back to 1918 when it was first celebrated at the King’s College Chapel in England.
“This festival brings a more imaginative approach to worship during the Christmas season. It was the first broadcast in 1928 and is now broadcast via BBC television to millions of people worldwide,” said Jaboh, who also coordinated a group of carollers from St James Church.
According to him, 13 groups of carollers fanned out from St James Church from December 5, moving from house to house over a period of six days to bring Christmas cheer and felicities of the season to families living in and around the village.
“This is the first time in two years, that we carollers stepped out, as the last two years the pandemic put paid to our annual Christmas carolling. So this year is special, and the carollers sang out with gusto and were very elated to bring the message of Christmas to the Christian faithful.”
He also said the carollers managed to put up a 30 foot tall Christmas tree next to the St James Church bell tower before the carolling commenced.
He said on December 16, the various ministries of the church will host a Christmas concert themed 'Christmas from the Hills'.
Following this, the St James choir will also be performing an 'Evening of Carols' at the Riverside Majestic Hotel and the Grand Margareta Hotel in Kuching on Christmas Eve.
“The choir will then return to St James Church to sing at the Christmas Eve service which will be recorded live by RTM’s Wai FM station,” said Jaboh.
The popular St James choir, which has a history dating back to the 1860s, is a sought-after ensemble during every Christmastime. According to Jaboh, the choir is invited by malls and hotels to enliven the Christmas spirit among shoppers and hotel guests.
Bishop Emeritus Bolly Lapok once described the choir with these words: “Not many of our institutions have the ‘vintage’ of the St James’ choir in Kampong Quop. And fewer still have such impact on the life of the community as to have given it a reputation which is synonymous with education and progress as well as a ‘musical tradition’ that is the envy of Sarawak’s Christian communities.”
Green Gallery
Meanwhile, as Christians prepare their hearts and spirit as they await the holy birth of the infant child in Bethlehem – the Green Gallery in Kuching is bustling with people looking for Christmas merchandise.
The Green Gallery, established in 2010 is the 'go to' place for Christians living in and around Kuching to shop for decorative items and Yuletide symbols synonymous with the season like the Christmas crib, Star of Bethlehem, and other non-religious items like Christmas trees, decorative lights, and more.
The outlet’s sales manager, Lau Kee Yew, told The Vibes that Green Gallery displays its Christmas merchandise as early as mid-September.
“Green Gallery is a florist cum décor store. We sell decorative items for all festivals and in between festivals we sell flowers for all occasions. In fact, we are a solution provider when it comes to home decorations and people love to shop at Green Gallery as they see us as a one-stop outlet,” said Lau.
He said the outlet displays its merchandise early in order to give customers a head start to the festive mood.
Asked what kind of decorative items are most popular, he said: “Customers usually look for Christmas trees of every design, Christmas candles, ribbons and baubles, lightings and mistletoe as well as Christmas figurines like reindeers and St Nicholas (Santa Claus).
“There are also customers who purchase Christmas table cloth, wallpapers as well as ceramic dinner and tea sets adorned with Christmas motifs.
“Green Gallery also sells about 10 different types of Nativity sets ranging in price from RM50 to RM1,000. Prices for standard and artificially snow-coated Christmas trees start from RM500, depending on their height. Green Gallery sells about 500 Christmas trees per year,” added Lau. – The Vibes, December 13, 2022
