New Delhi: As 2024 inched towards its last month of December, it was time to celebrate Christmas and spread the message of hope, goodwill and com-munal harmony. The Christmas spirit was all pervasive and shone brightly at Gulmohar Centre on December 25.
Joey’s Carol, a musical group consisting of the youth of the Archdiocese of Delhi, was at the Centre to present a nostalgic selection of Christmas carols. It was led by Ronan Lawrence and his talented team of musicians and vocalists. For more than an hour, they presented a nostalgic repertoire of songs that resonated with the festive spirit of the occasion. The songs reflected on the significance of the season and the musical group also readily agreed to present songs on request by our members who enjoyed their performance with children dancing to the melodious songs. The highlight of the afternoon was the appearance of Santa Claus, distributing toffees and candies to children and all those present. Santa Claus entertained and delighted the children, adding to the festive cheer.
Gulmohar Centre’s kitchen laid out a special winter lunch with delicious food items which was enjoyed by the members and their families.
The New Year eve gala dinner and musical evening was cancelled as the government announced a week-long national mourning in honour of the former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh who passed away on December 26. However, the restaurant at the Centre was open and members and their families enjoyed the delicious food and mingled with their friends.
The New Year marked the beginning of harvest season and the Centre organised Lohri bonfire along with the Residents’ Welfare Association on January 13. Residents and members joined in the Lohri celebrations and soaked in the warmth of the bonfire and exchanged Lohri, Makar Sankranti, Pongal and Bihu greetings. Groundnuts, popcorns and rewaris were distributed as the bonfire provided much needed warmth in the midst of the chilly evening with the traditional drum beats reverberating in the background. The Centre laid out a lavish spread of winter delicacies and members turned out in good numbers to mix over the informal gathering.
