Elli AvrRam: Christmas reminds me a lot of Diwali

IT’s yuletide daytime today and piece Elli AvrRam usually spends the daylight plump for home in Sweden with her family, this year, she is in Mumbai. “I will be waking up with my two boys, (her cats) Charles and Edward and I've got them Christmas gifts too, which I'm going to try to make them open. They're already sleeping under my Christmas tree, so cozy and cute. And it's going to be a facetime celebration with my parents,” she says, adding, “This season means a lot to me as this is the festive season I have grown up celebrating in Sweden. It's such a warm and cozy time, and it reminds me a lot of Diwali.”Elaborating further, Elli AvrRam says, “When I moved to India and the way I saw Diwali being celebrated here, it has always been giving me the Christmas vibes. The way you just lit up your home, decorate it and make it warm, homely and cozy, that’s what Christmas is for me,” adding that decorating the Christmas tree is her favourite part of the festival. The morning of Christmas brings back a rush of memories for Elli from back home, where she admits used to be a bit naughty during the festive time. “I always wanted to know what I was being gifted. So, I’d sneak in the middle of the night before Christmas to the tree where the gifts were put. I’d gently remove the wrap and see what was there, and then pack it again. Once my parents caught me and asked why I would ruin the surprise. I replied to them, ‘But one can forget’, and since then, they have always used this line against me,” she laughs.Elli and her family also have their own special rituals which includes nice and cozy Christmas meals, watching Christmas-themed movies and cartoons in the afternoon and a special treat in the evening. “My mom acted in the film Fanny and Alexander (1982), which won four Oscars, and it is shown every year on Christmas Day on Swedish television. My mom was 21 when she acted in that film, and every time I see it, I get super excited and have my fan moment. It's a very nice ending to Christmas,” she shares. Christmas is also about yummy food for Elli and she remembers having a special gravy her mom makes with yoghurt, onion, coriander, tiny shrimps, caviar and lemon. “This year I'm in India, so I'm not going to get to eat that. But we are getting ginger cookies, I will make mulled wine and have hot chocolate. There's a saffron muffin that we only make in Sweden and always eat on Christmas, and I'm making that too. It will give off a little bit of a Christmas vibe.”