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We know Christmas as a time of celebration, but we need to look at women's stories at Christmas and the way they have evolved over time.
Growing up in a convent school, Christmas was more than just a holiday; it was a magical time filled with traditions and joy. The decorations, the songs, and the sense of togetherness made me fall head over heels for this festive season.
Women have always had a big part in the stories that celebrate Christmas. Take A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, for example. We all know about Scrooge, but what about Belle, his former flame? She showed us that love and relationships matter more than money, and her influence changed everything during the holidays.
Image source: Unsplash
Over time, Christmas stories started giving us stronger, more interesting women. Books like Winter Street by Elin Hilderbrand showcase women dealing with family drama and finding their strength during the holidays. These stories go beyond the usual, giving us characters who feel real.
Movies also got in on the action, showing women taking charge during Christmas. Have you seen ‘The Holiday’? It’s about two women who swap homes and find new love and friendships.
Image source: The Holiday promo pictures
Then there’s ‘Last Christmas’, where Emilia Clarke’s character goes through ups and downs, just like we do, making her journey feel relatable during the festive season.
Image source: Last Christmas
Art has its own way of capturing the spirit of Christmas through female artists. Mary Cassatt, for instance, painted heartwarming scenes of women and kids during this time, showing us the warmth and love in the season.
Image source: Mary Cassatt, The New Yorker
Image source: Mary Cassatt, Mothers and Daughters in Art
And artists like Judy Chicago celebrate women’s strength and their experiences during the holidays through colorful and powerful artworks.
Image source: Judy Chicago, Herstory in Apollo Magazine
The way women are portrayed in Christmas stories and art has changed a lot. It’s not just about traditional roles anymore; it’s about showing real, strong women with their own stories to tell. These stories and artworks remind us of the importance of women’s experiences, relationships, and journeys during this special time of year.
Image source: by Trendsetter Images Free for Canva Pro
Sukanya Basu Mallik's works have been featured in Reader’s Digest, Times of India, Sahitya Akademi, Writer's Life, UK, AIPF Int. Anthology ( Diverse City Youth Contest, Austin, US), etc. Bestowed with Best Manuscript read more...
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UP Boards Topper Prachi Nigam was trolled on social media for her facial hair; our obsession with appearance is harsh on young minds.
Prachi Nigam’s photo has been doing the rounds on social media for the right reasons. Well, scratch that- I wish the above statement were true. This 15-year-old girl should ideally be revelling in her spectacular achievement of scoring a whopping 98.05% and topping her tenth-grade boards. But oddly enough, along with her marks, it’s something else that garners more attention – her facial hair.
While the trolls are driving themselves giddy by mocking this girl who hasn’t even completed her school yet, the ones who are taking her side are going one step ahead – they are sharing her photoshopped pictures, sans the facial hair, looking nothing less than a celebrity with captions saying – “Prachi Nigam, ten years later”.
Doctors have already diagnosed her with PCOD in their comments, based on photographic evidence. While we have names for people shamed for their weight – body shaming, for their skin colour- racism, for their age- age shaming, for being a female- sexism, this category of shaming where one faces criticism for their appearance has no name. With that, it also has zero shame attached to it.
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