As Christmas approaches, we soon sense the hustle and bustle of this season around us. It’s chilly, people commence their shopping and everyone’s making room to welcome the birth of Jesus, we quite literally see it at Damian’s, Bandra, with the Christ child in a manger being showcased in the exceptional Christmas Display.
Damian never repeats the themes. It’s always a brand new theme every year. This year the theme is The Crib, Lady in Red, Santa & his Reindeers, Grandmother with Grandchildren and A Christmas room.
The story, layout plan, character selection and design concept, is conceptualised ninety days before, by Frederick Pereira, thereafter it takes about sixty days for production and execution. All this is done backstage and put up overnight for the people to view the next day as a magical moment. They have a curtain-raiser every year at the end of November, leaving its audiences simply awe-struck!
Mr. Frederick is the talented designer and organiser behind the Christmas display. He’s humble by heart & humorous. He attributes that all his designs concepts, whether his Christmas displays or his business commercial projects are all inspired by the Holy Spirit. His favourite scripture is, “I Can Do All Things Through Christ Who Strengthens Me”.
He says, that about four and a half decades ago, Damian had started with a very humble beginning, with a mango tree branch, a Fevicol drum at the base, rocks from Bandstand, cotton from the general store, hanging decoration from Hill Road etc. As the years went by, they added things by painting the front glasses with Christmas images. Thereafter with Christmas ensembles like large full-size Christmas wreaths, stockings, candy sticks, candles, bonbons, etc. From the year 1999, they went up by several levels and produced designer sets with stories, concepts and life-size characters.
People come from far and wide to view this spectacular Christmas display which has now truly become iconic.
He says, “We at Damian’s have also kept our commitments, to give back to the people, once in a year, our traditional Christmas display”. Last year, due to the fears and devastation of the pandemic, Damian took a very conscious decision not to put up the Christmas display. They did this as their corporate social responsibility to the people and the government.
Personally, the display feels extremely realistic and it’s like you’re in a Christmas fairytale! It certainly calms, but at the same time refreshes you and you begin to believe in the magic of the season.
We heartily congratulate Damian’s for their hard work and devotion in gifting us this joyful Christmas spirit! It would certainly be a blue blue Christmas without these legendary displays.
