When I think about December in Bhutan, I think and feel good things. December, for me as a kid, marked the beginning of our winter break, which lasted nearly three months. It also means sticking to the same outfit, whether a jacket or a pair of boots. December also means unlimited clear skies. December in Bhutan meant Christmas.
I know it could surprise quite a few people to think that in the early 2000s, teenagers in Bhutan celebrated Christmas. It could marvel me too, but it doesn’t since I think of it as a natural thing, given where life would later take me.
In December, our parents dropped my cousin and me off in Thimphu, where we stayed for the next three months after leaving Phuntsholing. Led by me, we collected money for Christmas with little worry. The biggest worry lay in finding the tree. At the time, shops in Bhutan did not sell larger trees. Even if they did, we weren’t aware of them and could never have afforded them. We had to buy the Christmas lights, the food, the ornaments, and of course, gifts for each other. I orchestrated all of this.
Tree hunting
When it came to the tree, it was again upon me—the group leader—and my older cousin to make sure we had one. One Christmas, we drove to our farmhouse to get the tree. Another time, my cousin and I were out in Thimphu town with a traditional Bhutanese knife called a patang. We were on adrenaline as we roamed around, scouting for potential trees. We aimed to cut the tree that the city had planted as a decoration in one of the traffic roundabouts. The attempt failed, and as we headed back home, my cousin shared a story about how it was bad luck to roam around with a patang. When I look back, I feel the very act of cutting the tree, or wanting to cut the city’s tree, was an act of revolt. This was true even if it was inspired by western influences.
December in Bhutan has a different meaning now, I hope. As early as last year, when I met my cousins, I told them I wanted them to gather in my future home, to celebrate Christmas, to which one of them acquiesced.
Book your trip to Bhutan today! Contact us at [email protected] or call +975 1711-2338 any time, anywhere!