For Xmas: Gangnam Santa, Harry Potter caps, gingerbread houses

New Delhi, Dec 24: New-age Santas, large gingerbread houses, coloured reindeers, themed trees and quirky cards are ushering the festival of

this year.

Shopkeepers have stocked up on the latest trendy goods for Christmas, which include a range of Santa Claus, donned in the latest fashions. "We have kept trends in mind. So we have replaced plain, simple Santas with a 'camera man-Santa' who clicks a photo the moment you switch it on.

We have also introduced a Santa doing a 'Gangnam' style dance and children love it. These are the modern-age Santas," says Preeti, who owns a gift shop in Khan Market. Apart from Santas who can sing and dance as well as those who can rides on camels and sometimes get on a rocking horse too.

"We wanted to do something different. Reindeers and sleigh are common but a Santa driving up on a camel is unique," said a shopkeeper at Mehra Brothers, a handicraft shop, which used paper and wood to design Santas, Xmas trees and other baubles for Christmas. With Santa changing his colours, can his reindeers be far behind? A concept of reindeer family can been seen in shops "We try doing something new with the reindeers so introduced their family which has reindeers in black, blue and white," says Preeti.

Traditionally an evergreen conifer such as spruce, pine or fir, have been associated with the celebration of Christmas, but now retailers are stocking up on colour themed trees. It is the turn of black, blue and white trees and wreaths. Black for "restaurants and bars" and white for "snow loving people", there is a tree for everyone.

Santa caps have always been a favourite with people to convey the festival spirit with festival. But this time around, they are also taking children and youth on a memory lane of Harry Potter and his magic world. Archies have introduced large witch hats in red and white, which they are calling the "Harry Potter caps."

Shopkeepers have stocked up on the latest trendy goods for Christmas.

"Yeah we got it this time. Children love it. Harry Potter is a hit and a Santa cap designed on this theme catches attention of the customers," said a salesman at the retailer's store.

A large Christmas house made of gingerbread bricks and royal icing have been displayed at different places in the city. The hotel Leela Palace has built a life-sized house of 1500 sheets of fresh-baked gingerbread bricks, where people can come, have a walk and taste and take away Christmas cakes and puddings.

"It took a whopping 72 man hours to complete. We wanted to build the house on a magnificent scale and happy that our guests, especially kids have loved it," said Pastry chef Rishabh Anand, who designed and sculpted the house. The Park Hotel is also put on display a 9 ft by 8 feet gingerbread display house.

The festival of Christmas is incomplete without greeting cards and makers this year have given a traditional and religious touch to them. Some shops have put cards having a small Bible attached inside them on display and others have fused Santa and Christmas with basic Indian designs, like making the Santa sit on the elephant, or the animal wearing a Santa cap.

"We have made the cards with handmade sheets and besides using an elephant design, we have drawn Santa Claus and Christmas tree on cards sporting mango design," said a representative at the shop.

PTI