Two long-time parishioners of St Mary’s Catholic Church have reflected on how Christmas has changed over the years.
Emolyn Bucsit and Joseph James have been attending festive services at Dubai’s oldest Catholic church for decades and have had a front-row seat from which to view the huge transformation that has taken place.
Up to 20,000 people are expected at midnight mass on Sunday and tens of thousands on Monday, Christmas Day, but they both can recall a simpler time when crowds were smaller and festivities more humble.
In the [Christmas Day] service there is a place where we pray for the entire world
Joseph James,
72, parishioner of St Mary's Catholic Church
“Christmas in Dubai those days was celebrated within the walls of the church,” said Mr James, 72, who came to the UAE from India in 1977.
“There were no festivities outside,” said Mr James, who recalls a small town with two main landmarks – Deira’s Clock Tower and the yet-to-open Dubai World Trade Centre.
“Outside there were no Christmas trees or decorations. Even the FM radio station didn't mention it. There was no tree in the compound but inside the church we had a crib."
St Mary’s was built in the late 1960s to cater for the increased numbers of Catholics that were coming to the city.
Sheikh Rashid, then Ruler of Dubai, granted the land for the church and a plaque there today highlights how he also donated the church bells in a spirit of tolerance that underpins the UAE to this day.
St Mary’s was rebuilt in the 1980s on the same site in Oud Metha to cater for the boom and Christmas services continued to be limited within the church.
But by the time Emolyn Bucsit arrived in Dubai in 1990 from the Philippines, Christmas was starting to be more widely celebrated and brought some much-needed comfort to those away from home.
“My first Christmas was a homesick Christmas,” said Ms Bucsit, 67. “I came not expecting to have a church here. But you don’t feel [being homesick] because the church was active.”
By the late 1990s, Christmas celebrations became more common across the city and, while not “grand” like today, Ms Bucsit said the “church was vibrant, with the choir singing Christmas carols”.
Cribs were now displayed outside the church while a small tree had been erected outside by the late 1990s.
"When you enter the gates of the church, you know there is a festival," said Mr James. "You can see the giant Christmas tree. You can see the decorations all around. A festival look is there."
The number attending has now surged since those early days, in line with Dubai's population boom.
From a few thousand attending services that Mr James recalls in the early days, there could be up to 20,000 people at St Mary's for midnight mass on Christmas Eve alone.
Worshippers will throng the church, school and halls, and spill outside to the football field and church compound.
Tens of thousands of people are also expected on Christmas Day and TV screens have been installed to allow the devoted outside watch the service. Close to 20 masses will be held over the two days in several languages.
"We understand this is not a Christian country," said Mr James. "I don’t think there will be any other place in the world where you can celebrate Christmas with so much security and so much happiness."
With the region going through a difficult moment, particularly the Gaza war, general prayers for peace are also expected at Christmas services.
“In the [Christmas Day] service there is a place where we pray for the entire world,” said Mr James. “We pray for the Rulers. We pray for people of UAE. We pray for peace in the world. We pray where there are problems, peace is established.”
At St Mary’s on Thursday, the finishing touches were being applied to the decorations. People snapped photographs of the large Christmas tree, while festive lights and tinsel adorned the walls.
“It has been a huge change from very small numbers,” said Ms Bucsit. “Sometimes you don’t feel homesick because you are happy and as if you are at home.”
Christmas past in the UAE – in pictures
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Saturday's results
Women's third round
- 14-Garbine Muguruza Blanco (Spain) beat Sorana Cirstea (Romania) 6-2, 6-2
- Magdalena Rybarikova (Slovakia) beat Lesia Tsurenko (Ukraine) 6-2, 6-1
- 7-Svetlana Kuznetsova (Russia) beat Polona Hercog (Slovenia) 6-4. 6-0
- Coco Vandeweghe (USA) beat Alison Riske (USA) 6-2, 6-4
- 9-Agnieszka Radwanska (Poland) beat 19-Timea Bacsinszky (Switzerland) 3-6, 6-4, 6-1
- Petra Martic (Croatia) beat Zarina Diyas (Kazakhstan) 7-6, 6-1
- Magdalena Rybarikova (Slovakia) beat Lesia Tsurenko (Ukraine) 6-2, 6-1
- 7-Svetlana Kuznetsova (Russia) beat Polona Hercog (Slovenia) 6-4, 6-0
Men's third round
- 13-Grigor Dimitrov (Bulgaria) beat Dudi Sela (Israel) 6-1, 6-1 -- retired
- Sam Queery (United States) beat Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (France) 6-2, 3-6, 7-6, 1-6, 7-5
- 6-Milos Raonic (Canada) beat 25-Albert Ramos (Spain) 7-6, 6-4, 7-5
- 10-Alexander Zverev (Germany) beat Sebastian Ofner (Austria) 6-4, 6-4, 6-2
- 11-Tomas Berdych (Czech Republic) beat David Ferrer (Spain) 6-3, 6-4, 6-3
- Adrian Mannarino (France) beat 15-Gael Monfils (France) 7-6, 4-6, 5-7, 6-3, 6-2
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
A little about CVRL
Founded in 1985 by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, the Central Veterinary Research Laboratory (CVRL) is a government diagnostic centre that provides testing and research facilities to the UAE and neighbouring countries.
One of its main goals is to provide permanent treatment solutions for veterinary related diseases.
The taxidermy centre was established 12 years ago and is headed by Dr Ulrich Wernery.
How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
- Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
- Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
- Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
- Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
- Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
- Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
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Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
The specs: 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk
Price, base: Dh399,999
Engine: Supercharged 6.2-litre V8
Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 707hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 875Nm @ 4,800rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 16.8L / 100km (estimate)
Cryopreservation: A timeline
- Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
- Ovarian tissue surgically removed
- Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
- Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
- Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
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T20 World Cup Qualifier
October 18 – November 2
Opening fixtures
Friday, October 18
ICC Academy: 10am, Scotland v Singapore, 2.10pm, Netherlands v Kenya
Zayed Cricket Stadium: 2.10pm, Hong Kong v Ireland, 7.30pm, Oman v UAE
UAE squad
Ahmed Raza (captain), Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Rameez Shahzad, Darius D’Silva, Mohammed Usman, Mohammed Boota, Zawar Farid, Ghulam Shabber, Junaid Siddique, Sultan Ahmed, Imran Haider, Waheed Ahmed, Chirag Suri, Zahoor Khan
Players out: Mohammed Naveed, Shaiman Anwar, Qadeer Ahmed
Players in: Junaid Siddique, Darius D’Silva, Waheed Ahmed
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 247hp at 6,500rpm
Torque: 370Nm from 1,500-3,500rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 7.8L/100km
Price: from Dh94,900
On sale: now
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Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 194hp at 5,600rpm
Torque: 275Nm from 2,000-4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Price: from Dh155,000
On sale: now
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
Company profile
Date started: 2015
Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki
Based: Dubai
Sector: Online grocery delivery
Staff: 200
Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends
Defence review at a glance
• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”
• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems
• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.
• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%
• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade
• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels
