At this time of the year, all new year resolutions about abstaining from non-indulgence in eating take a back seat and everyone forgets that there is a price that is paid for food. One might even say it is a heavy price, although the price might not depend upon the heaviness or otherwise of the eater. Despite admonitions from all health quarters about the risks involved in overeating during the period starting with Xmas and the traditionally inevitable ‘kari bouk’ with its ‘andan’ of 2nd January.

All over the world, the restaurants are trying to attract diners with health-conscious preparations for maintaining the calories intake within the recommended range. The customers are not, however, in the mood for restraint as the season does not and should not lend itself to any form of control. Indulgence and a determination to please the palate are the governing principles. It is right that such be the case since 31th December 2012 will never come again and 2nd January 2013 only comes once in our lifetime.

An Epicurean lifestyle at this time of the year is what is required. No worries, no stress and no nagging. We will go back to them in the next year. For the rest of this year, it is the time to enjoy and put under the carpet or linoleum all the problems and scandals which have afflicted us in 2012. If anybody transgresses the Epicurean mood, please call the Line Barracks as they have people who are experts in provisionally removing the trouble makers.

There is a nagging question which needs an answer. Why should people during this festive period eat so much as though there will be no tomorrow? For some, overeating might really mean that they will have no normal tomorrows. Whatever people in other countries do, in Mauritius, eating is associated with getting all the relatives and friends together. It happens very often that such occasions end in fights, but no great meal can be enjoyed without an occasional tiff. This kind of festivity goes on for days, with crisscrossing invitations, with the consequence that, when the work has to resume in the early days of January, that is the time when people need a good rest.

This indulgence in food must be the direct result of the image that we have of Santa Claus. Since every one considers Santa to be an ever-smiling, jolly, rotund, white-bearded, cholesterol-free male individual, we all wish to be Santa. Unless one is big-bellied – something which is associated with consumption of plenty and rich food –, one cannot even dream of coming level with Santa. But most of us here will need to compromise on one feature of the traditional Santa and that is his skin colour. Maybe the time has come in this globalized environment
to invent a Santa for countries like ours. I always feel for those Santas in Mauritius in shopping malls, who go through an ordeal of sweaty suffering under their costume and beard interspersed with fake snow flakes.