Long before the carols echoed from the interiors of missionary schools as the children prepared for the Christmas vacation, Kolkata has invented its own version of the winter carnival. Old-timers may look back at the swinging sixties when Park Street would come alive with floral decorations and illuminations for a week of non-stop revelry. Now the winter celebrations have broken the class barrier in areas where, at one time, an amazing variety of cakes and continental recipes drew a particular section of the society. The same street has been thrown open to the masses with street food and Hindi film music adding to the deshi spirit in which Burradin was celebrated.

The first signs of the winter thrill would be the early morning adventure around the Maidan and Victoria Memorial. A colleague has fond memories of being woken up around five on a cold December morning after the winter vacation had begun. Seniors in the family would take the lead to get everyone ready for a stroll through the mist.

A joy ride in a horse carriage could add to the excitement but the sheer thrill of walking along deserted pathways made the winter ritual quite unforgettable. Examination results may not have been very satisfying but the prospect of parties and picnics and the stream of fun and frolic would be enough to set aside all the disappointments. There were varieties of entertainment that have virtually disappeared. Where, for instance, is the circus? One remembers the excitement on the Park Circus grounds when the Russian performers entered the Big Top to draw thunderous cheers for their amazing feats.

 The Indian circus with its clowns and four-legged creatures were equally popular. The scene would shift to the Alipore zoo where the roar of the tiger emerging from its den and the pranks of the monkey would be just the right kind of entertainment on a sunny winter afternoon. Cut to the following weekend and it would be a family reunion in the baganbari or the Botanical Gardens. The century-old banyan tree has become a protected species rather than a witness to the musical games and cricket matches before the elders announced that the lunch cooked on a makeshift oven was ready – probably the meal that everyone would remember more than the well cooked recipes back home.

 There were, of course, the winter delicacies ranging from the best cakes emerging from New Market and Park Street to the crispy moya from Joynagar that have always flooded the markets in Kolkata. Can one imagine an authentic winter without sandesh blended with molasses and the peas kochuri munched with the tastiest varieties of potato whose prices have mercifully fallen over the last few days? It has always been a winter of delight. The old memories have now been reinforced by the detective adventures on the screen and the music and theatre festivals that are perhaps best experienced when the mercury threatened to dip below ten.

 One may at times wonder where all the cash will come from. When it comes to a winter bash, standing in a queue outside an ATM or inside a bank may be a hassle one would happily endure.