The District Institute of Education and Training, Mokokchung celebrated its Advent Christmas at the Institute Auditorium on 9 December.

Sungtimenla, Senior Lecturer, in her Christmas message remembered Christmas celebration as a nostalgic feeling in the hearts of the people decorating houses and sharing meals. Citing the example of a story where the family celebrated the birthday of their child without the presence of the birthday boy, she related the Christian life with the story and said: “We say we are celebrating Christmas but many a times without the presence of Jesus Christ”. One’s focus is on worldly pleasures and we forget God in our midst, she added.

She spoke on the meaning of “love” by taking the example of the Bible verse from 1 John 4:7. She said “Love came from God” and “Love is conditioned on worldly perspective but God’s love is unconditional”.

Sungtimenla, Senior Lecturer, reminded the gathering that Christmas is all about love.

Stating that God sent his only begotten son in the form of human to embrace his people, Sungtimenla said it is the beauty of love and the greatest gift that God gave to our humankind. God’s sacrificial love brought forgiveness, healing, victory and redemption into our lives, she said.

The lecturer reminded the gathering that Christmas is all about love and encouraged them to let go of wounds and forgive one another, celebrating instead the beauty of the season of love and inviting God’s presence in our midst.

On the occasion of Advent Christmas celebration, a Carol Competition was also held among the students. Three groups namely Falcon, Hornbill and Tragopan participated in the competition with Falcon emerging as the winner of the competition.

Hornbill and Tragopan groups singing at the Carol Competition.

The program was compered by Limabenla of 2nd year with the invocation delivered by Tangnio of 1st year. A solo was presented by Imlisashi of 1st year and the benediction pronounced by Lanuwati of 2nd year.

The formal programme was followed by a Christmas feast and an extravaganza event in the informal session.