Celebrating Differently

Embracing multicultural traditions

Nikhil and Jay is a series of four books for emerging readers about two boys who have dualheritage. Their mum, Amma, is from Southern India and speaks Tamil as her mother tongue, while their dad, Appa, is from England. They also have two sets of grandparents and a cat called Max.

The series is aimed at emerging readers with four short stories in each title. In the first book, Nikhil and Jay: The Star Birthday, we showcased a special birthday celebration that comprises different festivities to the usual cake-cutting and partyhats that kids in the UK are most familiar with.

After the first two titles of Nikhil and Jay were published, we received a lot of requests for Nikhil and Jay to visit their grandparents in India. That led me to think about all the families in the UK that visit their relatives abroad. Nikhil and Jay’s family, like many others, would often choose to visit during the winter break because the weather in

India is more pleasant and the sun isn’t as harsh.

So how about a Christmas in India? Nikhil and Jay’s Indian grandparents have never celebrated Christmas before because they are Hindus. Whether a family is celebrating Christmas or Deepavali, the most important elements of the festivities involve being with family, preparing a delicious array of foods and carrying on some traditions. So, how will Nikhil and Jay follow their western traditions in Chennai, India, where getting a Christmas tree isn’t possible?

I also wanted to blend the customs of Indian Christmas celebrations with the western ones that Nikhil and Jay are familiar with. So if mince pies are not available, what would they leave for Father Christmas? Indian pudding, of course! Similarly, when Jay worries that their presents might be lost because Father Christmas doesn’t know where they are, Nikhil has an idea which incorporates a local South Indian custom: hanging a lit-up star outside the house.

From going to the beach to welcoming the new year, in Nikhil and Jay: Off to India, we explore how everyday things are different across cultures; when cultures come together in one family, we get to celebrate those differences and enjoy different customs, traditions and foods.

The Nikhil and Jay series is written by Chitra Soundar, illustrated by Soofiya and published by OtterBarry Books. You can now watch Nikhil and Jay on CBeebies and BBC iPlayer!

CHITRA SOUNDAR Author www.chitrasoundar.com