For Tara Sutaria, Christmas has been more of a season in her life than a festival. It means a lot to her as it is a season of tradition, rituals, and being with people. The actress believes that as a person who has been surrounded by Christmas traditions since childhood, her Christmas is about conserving memories of the past while making new ones.
Tara celebrates this particular holiday every year with her intimate friends and family, and one of her greatest traditions involves food. “My nani has been making Christmas pudding for as long as I remember,” Tara reveals. What is most amazing is that her grandmother makes at least 20 of them every year as presents for her loved ones. Later on, this tradition would be passed down to her mother, and now it is Tara who continues this tradition of making this homemade dessert for her own social circle of friends.
Yet another special aspect of Christmas in the Sutaria household is the Christmas tree that has been steeped in memories from decades past. “We have been collecting items for our Christmas tree from across the world for almost 60 years,” Tara reveals. Every single item on the tree has a story to convey and Tara keeps adding fresh favorites from the destinations she travels to.
Food remains at the forefront of the celebrations, with every single dish made at home. The family recipe of roasted turkey and potatoes is an elaborate affair that takes over two days to prepare, but according to Tara, it is well worth the trouble. Christmas dinner also consists of glazed ham, cranberry and apple sauce, as well as the ever-popular macaroni cheese. The preparation of Christmas food is also carried out with the involvement of the entire family, with her father brewing the brandied cream every year, along with Tara attempting to make the pecan pie this year, which was well received.
This year, Tara also organized a Christmas party, where her friends, relatives, and people from the film fraternity attended. “The Christmas party had my close friends, friends and relatives of the people who are very precious to me, Veer Pahariya’s friends and family. We had loads of singing and dancing,” Tara remembers. Tara, who is recognized for her affinity for traditional looks, created a warm and beautiful ambiance for the Christmas celebration, complete with 60’s and 70’s music, candle-lit tables, flowers, and a Ralph Lauren theme in rich reds, green, and Scottish plaid tartan.
As for the future, Tara is looking forward to adopting a new family tradition with her partner and children to come—to have each person at the Christmas dinner table give thanks for one thing they are grateful for. Christmas, for Tara, is a time for reflection, thankfulness, and the reassurance of familiar traditions, such as watching her favorite Christmas movies: Home Alone, Love Actually, and The Holiday every year.
