Fruit Cakes and Family: A Tamil American Christmas

By Anonymous | December 2023

Halfway across the globe, in the small town of Nagercoil, Tamil Nadu, the celebration of Christmas is the core of the holiday season for the Tamil Christian community. With lights that can be seen for miles on end, to paper stars at every doorstop, the season of happiness glows throughout the town.

During my holiday season in South India, Christmas was mainly made up of eating delicious food and being thankful for quality time with family. From chicken dum biryani to mutton curry, the flavors, spices and smells all made me feel at home. As a Baptist Tamil Indian American living in the U.S., it is vital for me and my family to preserve our Tamilian traditions.

My Paati always used to say, “Kiṟistumas eṉpatu makiḻcci maṟṟum kuṭumpattiṉ nēram, namatu pārampariyaṅkaḷ nammai taṉittuvamākkukiṉṟaṉa … mēlum namatu āvi nammai ciṟappuṟac ceykiṟatu,” roughly translating to, “Christmas is a time of joy and family … our traditions make us unique and our spirit makes us special.”

Every year, our family keeps the South Indian Christmas spirit alive by spreading happiness in the form of fruit cake, a type of cake made with candied or dried fruits, nuts and spices. This baked good came to India in 1883 when a British planter, Murdoch Brown, traveled to Thalassery and asked a local baker to taste the British plum cake in hopes that he would be able to recreate it for him. Without proper ovens and ingredients, the baker found himself having to use local spices and flavors from Kerala and before he knew it, he had made an even richer tasting concoction: the fruit cake (Tanya, 2021). Since then, the cake has spread to many areas of South India and has become a delicacy for many to enjoy.

We buy all of the ingredients in bulk and get to work cracking eggs, whipping butter and chopping cashews. Every year, we make around 30–40 cakes to give as gifts to our close family and friends. We even ship some as far as California!

“My own Amma and Paati used to make these cakes for the entire neighborhood in Nagercoil. It didn’t matter that it was a long process or took up to 24 hours or that it was expensive,” my Amma said. “What mattered most was that we were giving and spreading happiness to those around us … That is truly what Christmas is about.”

I am inspired seeing my Amma put so much effort into every cake she bakes, and the amount of joy and love that she puts into each one. It is important for me to keep my Tamilian traditions alive while living in the U.S. as a representation for Tamil Christians everywhere.

Today, we associate Christmas with white people and commercialized images of a pale Santa Claus. Yet, my community has been celebrating Christmas—in our own, unique Tamilian way—for centuries. I look forward to the day that I will be able to take over this tradition and keep spreading warmth and Christmas joy to those around me!

References: 

Tanya, A. (2021, Dec. 23). “The origin of the great Indian Christmas cake,” GOYA, https://www.goya.in/blog/the-origin-of-the-great-indian-christmas-cake