SMORGASBORD OF CHRISTMAS CHEER!
A time that’s filled with love, laughter and cherished traditions, Christmas is around the corner. To make this festive season even more special, we’ve gathered an ensemble of nine of your favourite celebrities to share their heartwarming tales, cherished traditions and seasonal joy.
In this exclusive annual feature, we explore the unique ways in which these celebs bring festive cheer to their homes and hearts.
Our star-studded ensemble comprises Raffealla Fernando (fashion and celebrity photographer); Ranil Amirthiah (founder and leader of the band – Black); Dilrukshi Kurukulasuriya (Executive Director and Chief Human Resources Manager of DIMO); Harini Silva (first runner-up at Top Model of the World in 2018 and Creative Director of Island Inc); Imran Saibo (Managing Director of Funtime Events); Sonali Silva (model, activist and social media influencer); Kevin Cruze (actor and founder of COLD Theatre 7); Samaakhya Gajanayake (Sri Lanka’s women’s water polo captain, athlete, coach, fitness model, and owner of health and wellness company SMKYA); and Renouk Wijemanne (decorated tennis player, and Head Coach and Director of Synergy Sports).
As you turn the pages of this exciting Christmastime story and enter the glittering world of Sri Lankan stars, you’ll catch a glimpse of how these famous faces celebrate ‘the most wonderful time of the year!’
HAIR AND MAKEUP
Salon Tobe
Raffealla Fernando
Q: If you were to launch a seasonal ‘Raffealla Fernando Christmas Calendar’ (RFCC), who would be featured in it?
A: I would love to launch a seasonal Christmas calendar to keep the festive spirit alive. There would be a few Catholic celebrities because they will relate to the Christmas feeling.
Other than them, there will be fun, happy and cheerful celebrities for sure.
To name a few, Jacqueline Fernandez, Dinakshie and Shanudrie Priyasad, Raini Goonatillake, Umaria Sinhawansa, Sangeetha Weeraratne, Sachini Ayendra, Bathiya and Santhush, Chaminda Vaas, Roshan Ranawana and Nathasha Perera.
There are so many but I’ve only named a few celebrities.
Q: Your favourite Christmas photograph from your personal collection is…
A: I did a photoshoot with Shanudrie Priyasad and we called it ‘Oh! Christmas tree.’ Her dress was designed to look like a Christmas tree and we decorated it with seasonal decor. The shoot was loved by everyone – including myself!
Q: What is your best advice to stay calm in the festive season?
A: I’m usually a calm and unstressed person – so it makes no difference to me because I remain the same. I meditate for an hour every day and truly believe that a calm mind helps you lead a happy life.
Of course, my advice is not about meditating because that’s not everyone’s cup of tea. Being organised, making a checklist and listening to music while prepping for Christmas will help you feel lighter and less stressed.
Q: And what Christmas miracle would you most like to see come true?
A: World peace, and all our hearts being filled with love and compassion. With all that we’re seeing and hearing, I can’t think of anything else to wish for.
DEFINITIONS
CHRISTMAS
Happiness, family, festivity and love. I love Christmas because for me, it’s a whole different vibe and that wonderful feeling – all I can say is Christmas is pure love for me
LOVE
I don’t think anyone will ever have a definition for what love truly is because it differs from person to person and makes you feel so much – it’s a magical feeling that I can’t express in words
2024
Hopeful and abundant
HAPPINESS
A choice
SEASONAL FAVOURITES
TRADITION
Decorating the Christmas tree is the most wholesome feeling for me
DECORATIONS
I like any decorations to do with reindeer but also love Christmas wreaths and have quite a collection of them
CHARACTERS
Santa Claus and Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer
MOVIE
Holidate
COLLECTIVE QUESTIONS
Q: What does the perfect Christmas look like to you?
A: The perfect Christmas would be one that’s spent with family, and featuring beautiful decorations, good food and lots of laugh – as Charlie Brown said, “it’s not about what’s under the tree that matters; it’s who’s around it”
Q: What makes the best last-minute Christmas present?
A: The easiest is a gift voucher but anything gifted with love is special
CHRISTMAS WISH LIST
New camera
Updated wardrobe for 2024
Trip to London
NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS
Live life to the fullest without any regrets
Focus on holistic wellbeing
Spend more time with friends and family
RANIL AMIRTHIAH
Q: If you had to perform the same Christmas song every day in December, which one would you choose?
A: O Holy Night – so that I could become more famous than Mariah Carey!
Q: What are your most and least favourite things about performing at Christmas parties?
A: To see employers use Christmas as an excuse to reward their staff so they will work even harder next year
Q: And what’s your advice to couples who are planning to tie the knot in December and during other holiday months?
A: Don’t! Please plan to get married during months where we don’t have work! December is full for us and the venues are all booked.
Q: Where would you most like to spend Christmas – and why?
A: On my motorbike in a faraway place that’s calm and quiet or at my parents’ home.
DEFINITIONS
CHRISTMAS
Santa has overtaken Baby Jesus as the most popular character
LOVE
Why keep it all bottled up for Christmas – give it away so that every day is Christmas
2024
Simply another number – and another new calendar on the wall
HAPPINESS
Being content with what I have in my pocket
SEASONAL FAVOURITES
TRADITION
Giving to the less fortunate
DECORATIONS
Charmingly white and a bit of silver
CHARACTER
The Little Drummer Boy – I played that role in my first stage performance when I was 11
MOVIE
Love Actually
CHRISTMAS WISH LIST
Let people change and be right-thinking people
Let all my fellow musicians have enough work to keep their tables full
Stop procrastinating
NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS
Stick to my diet
Stay out of health troubles
Stop putting things off
COLLECTIVE QUESTIONS
Q: What does the perfect Christmas look like to you?
A: Ten hours of undisturbed sleep
Q: What makes the best last minute Christmas present?
A: Take my guitar and sing for them
Dilrukshi Kurukulasuriya
Q: If you could change one thing about Sri Lankan workplaces in 2024, what would it be?
A: I would change the biases in the minds of people, and inculcate equity in everyone’s thinking – so that we will accept the differences of all people and be inclusive
Q: What gift would you hate to receive in a ‘Secret Santa’ exchange?
A: I am okay with any item but receiving a gift voucher will spoil the excitement
Q: What is your favourite holiday flavour?
A: Cinnamon – whether it’s in mulled wine, cookies or eggnog… I love the flavour
Q: Do you prefer to go out on New Year’s Eve or stay in?
A: I love to stay in – and to wake up fresh and energised to welcome a brand-new year
DEFINITIONS
CHRISTMAS
Christmas is not simply a religious celebration; it is also the time of year that everyone shares the joy it brings by giving – it lights up many hearts
LOVE
The most beautiful thing that only the heart can feel
2024
The hope is to end wars between nations, eradicate pandemics and end global recession – and for people to live without fear and poverty
HAPPINESS
A state of mind – but also when I shop for my favourite brands
SEASONAL FAVOURITES
TRADITION
Exchange of gifts
DECORATION
Christmas tree
CHARACTER
There is no Christmas without Santa Claus
MOVIE
Love Actually (starring Laura Linney and Hugh Grant et al)
CHRISTMAS WISH LIST
Panthère de Cartier wristwatch
Narciso Rodriguez Musc Noir Rose perfume
A pair of shoes that I’m eyeing
NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS
Learn to play a musical instrument
Save more money
Continue with my fitness schedule
COLLECTIVE QUESTIONS
Q: What does the perfect Christmas look like to you?
A: Helping to make someone else’s wishes come true will make Christmas meaningful to me. But it is also the time to be with friends and family, give and receive gifts, and enjoy myself. When these are combined, they make Christmas perfect for me…
Q: What makes the best last-minute Christmas present?
A: Jewellery or a wristwatch
Harini Silva
Q: If you have a holiday playlist, name one song on it…
A: I don’t have a holiday playlist as such. However, one of my favourite Christmas songs is ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’ by Mariah Carey.
Q: How do you pick your Christmas Day wardrobe?
A: I like to keep it cool and casual for Christmas. Trousers or jeans (trendily high waisted) paired with a nice top would be my festive fit – and I’d complete the look with shimmering accessories such as a pair of glitzy earrings.
Q: And how old were you when you stopped believing in Santa?
A: I don’t recall but I supposes around seven or eight.
Q: What is your favourite – and least favourite – holiday food?
A: I love Christmas cake – and I doubt I have a least favourite food.
DEFINITIONS
CHRISTMAS
Christmas means spending more time with family; showing gratitude; and loving, sharing and making people happy… as well as remembering the birth of Jesus
LOVE
For me, love is the most secure feeling. It means having a companion, best friend, lover, partner, cheerleader, adviser and ‘cuddle buddy’ throughout the journey of life
2024
A motivation for many new beginnings – for me, 2024 involves committing to discarding old habits and developing good new ones
HAPPINESS
Doing the things that I love, spending time with my loved ones and creating art – and spending time with God
SEASONAL FAVOURITES
TRADITION
Put up the Christmas tree
DECORATION
Christmas tree topper
CHARACTER
Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer
MOVIE
Home Alone
COLLECTIVE QUESTIONS
Q: What does the perfect Christmas look like to you?
A: Setting the mood for the season by putting up the tree with my partner and decorating it together. This has helped us sustain a strong sense of unity. There’s also playing Christmas songs to usher in the festive season, and planning a dinner for family and friends – in a nutshell, I always spend Christmas with my loved ones
Q: What makes the best last-minute Christmas present?
A: I still believe in handmade Christmas cards along with a gift voucher to shop as someone wishes
CHRISTMAS WISH LIST
Putting up a beautiful Christmas tree (since this adds life to the home during the festive season), and preparing a delicious Christmas dinner for friends and family – and shopping for my family
NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS
To be a better version of myself
Achieving the goals planned for 2024
Spending more time with loved ones
Imran Saibo
Q: What would you say are three essentials when planning a Christmas or New Year’s Eve party?
A: Invite the right people with the right chemistry. Make sure the spirits flow and the music never stops.
Q: What stresses you most about the festive season?
A: Gift choices.
Q: What’s your favourite indulgence at this time of the year?
A: Taking advantage of the festive season and having the luxury of staying in bed – and binge watching movies, and reading and munching on everything I’m not supposed to munch!
Q: What is the gift you secretly hope to receive this season?
A: An ‘all expenses paid’ ticket to travel on the Orient Express, or a houseboat holiday in Amsterdam or The Man from U.N.C.L.E. comic collection
DEFINITIONS
CHRISTMAS
Family, friends, celebration and giving
LOVE
To borrow the words of the song: ‘Love is a many splendoured thing’
2024
Uncertainty, hope and optimism
HAPPINESS
A state of mind
SEASONAL FAVOURITES
TRADITION
Unwrapping gifts on Christmas morning
DECORATION
The star placed on top of the tree – traditionally by the youngest member of the family
CHARACTER
Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer
MOVIE
Scrooge
CHRISTMAS WISH LIST
The Giles cartoon annual
A luxury train vacation
The complete Alistair MacLean book collection
NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS
Restore my train set to its former glory
Finish writing my book
Not to make any resolutions I know I’ll never keep
COLLECTIVE QUESTIONS
Q: What does the perfect Christmas look like to you?
A: A home full of family and friends
Q: What makes the best last-minute Christmas present?
A: The one you know that will bring a smile to the face of the recipient
Sonali Silva
Q: If you could teach something to Sri Lankans next year, what would it be – and why?
A: I’d urge us all to catch ourselves when we start ‘othering’ or thinking in terms of ‘us versus them.’ As Sri Lankans, let’s prioritise our humanity and country over ethnic and religious differences, and remember that we’re more alike than different.
Q: What would you be most offended to receive as a Christmas gift?
A: I’m pretty chill with my wish list. I appreciate it when someone puts thought into a gift. Recently, my good friends got me an easel. It was so incredibly thoughtful because I’m exploring my creative and oil painter side – and I value their support.
Q: If you had to live in a holiday movie or two, which ones would you choose?
A: Love Actually and Notting Hill
Q: What song would you slay during Christmas karaoke?
A: Zero songs – because I sound like a blender. But nothing will stop me from singing ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’ from 15 November onwards.
SEASONAL FAVOURITES
TRADITION
My niece and I watch a cartoon of her choice… and her choice is always Frozen
DECORATIONS
My niece’s and nephew’s art (I’m obsessed with them)
CHARACTER
None
MOVIE
None
DEFINITIONS
CHRISTMAS
It’s about family – and ‘chosen family’
LOVE
Feeling safe to be yourself
2024
The year I hope to get rich
HAPPINESS
Cuddling and midday napping
CHRISTMAS WISH LIST
Decriminalising access to essential abortion services in Sri Lanka
Access to comprehensive sexuality education for all young people in Sri Lanka
Freeing occupied Palestine
NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS
To embody this concept: ‘If it is meant for me, it will be mine’ – and then allow things to come to me the way they’re supposed to without trying to control every situation
COLLECTIVE QUESTIONS
Q: What does the perfect Christmas look like to you?
A: I want my babies – my niece and nephews; food (preferably Sri Lankan); and bants – preferably about politics
Q: What makes the best last-minute Christmas present?
A: Money
Kevin Cruze
Q: What is your guilty pleasure for the festive season?
A: Knowing that I need to control the amount I eat and drink, I tend to do the exact opposite during this season!
Q: Describe what your ghosts of Christmas past, present and future would look like…
A: My ghosts of Christmas past and present look like kids. With my kids around now, my ghost of the future looks like a kid too – because the thought of Christmas takes me back to my childhood
Q: If you could stage a Christmas play, what would it be?
A: I’d like to see how I could bring The Grinch to the stage – it’s a fun movie and I think it will be interesting to stage it during Christmas
Q: What is your ‘never again’ holiday story?
A: Working double shifts in London until Christmas Eve is certainly a ‘never again’ holiday story
SEASONAL FAVOURITES
TRADITIONS
Christmas Mass, lunch and dinner; unwrapping gifts on Christmas morning; and listening to carols by Celtic Woman
DECORATION
The objective is to make the house as cozy as possible – colours and themes can vary but there has to be snow
CHARACTERS
Santa Claus, The Grinch and Kevin in Home Alone
MOVIE
Home Alone
DEFINITIONS
CHRISTMAS
Sweet memories
LOVE
Jesus Christ’s greatest lesson to human beings
2024
A brand-new chapter
HAPPINESS
Give what you have to others genuinely and expect nothing in return
CHRISTMAS WISH LIST
Form a team to make a movie
Use my leave to go on a holiday
Maybe receive a gift of a PlayStation®5
NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS
Continue to give more and teach the next generation
Spend more time evaluating myself
Grow my hair again – one last time
COLLECTIVE QUESTIONS
Q: What does the perfect Christmas look like to you?
A: Being surrounded by the ones you love
Q: What makes the best last-minute Christmas present?
A: A wristwatch
Samaakhya Gajanayake
Q: What is your favourite holiday hack?
A: I’m always last-minute and it’s the same when it comes to decorating! One thing I do that helps to make a space festive quickly is a bauble jar. All you need to do is fill a glass bowl, bottle or any container you have with Christmas baubles (any colour scheme is fine) and drop a set of fairy lights into it. This works on any surface from side tables to table centres, on the floor and so on. It’s a simple charming decoration.
Q: If you had to give homemade Christmas gifts this year, what would they be?
A: I would love to write a small note to my family and friends, tie it up with string and drop it in a jar. This is doable at home, very economical and sustainable; but mostly, it is a meaningful way for me to tell my closest family and friends how much they mean to me. Or I’d share a personalised fitness plan.
Q: Any tips to not pack on the pounds while enjoying the holidays…
A: The last thing anyone wants to think about during the holidays is staying healthy. But a great way to enjoy the season without going overboard on the food and sweet intake is to focus on holiday activities. They can include anything from shopping for gifts or decorating your home to playing Christmastime games with the family, going for a walk to see the streets and Christmas lights, and so on. Staying active matters and activities are a lot more fun during the holidays.
There are also a couple of things to keep in mind…
First is portion control. Don’t deprive yourself of having your favourite holiday treats; but use smaller plates, serve a little less and savour each bite without gobbling it up to avoid overeating.
Second is to stay hydrated. Drink plenty of water throughout the day. Our bodies can confuse thirst with hunger sometimes, and this can lead to unnecessary snacking. And if you feel you’re likely to overindulge, drink several glasses of water before a big meal.
Q: Which Christmas carol sticks in your head the most – and why?
A: Jingle Bells. Isn’t it what everyone thinks of first? I’m not much of a carol fan – especially during Christmas – because that’s all everyone plays.
DEFINITIONS
CHRISTMAS
It is the time for family to come together – a time for good spirits and celebration
LOVE
Love is a combination of empathy, respect, support and vulnerability
2024
2024 is a blank canvas that’s waiting to be filled with new memories and achievements – not forgetting greater challenges and the tougher battles that will make us even stronger than before
HAPPINESS
Happiness is that feeling when you’ve won a game, have your closest friends and family with you, and helped people achieve their fitness goals – all in one day!
SEASONAL FAVOURITES
TRADITION
Families and loved ones coming together to decorate the house on Christmas Eve
DECORATION
A wreath at the entrance – it’s the first thing people see and it can brighten up a space
CHARACTER
Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer – everyone may laugh at him but he’s the one who wins it all
MOVIE
Home Alone
CHRISTMAS WISH LIST
End the ongoing wars and suffering of victims around the world
People to be less judgemental and more supportive of others
Good health and wellness for everyone – the SMKYA tagline (‘Be unstoppable, be more’) sums it up
NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS
Inspire more people to reach their goals through SMKYA
Focus on the positive and make corresponding changes where I can
Get better at training noncompetitively – and focus on listening to my mind and body
COLLECTIVE QUESTIONS
Q: What does the perfect Christmas look like to you?
A: A Christmas well spent with the entire family – with lots of activities and celebrations
Q: What makes the best last-minute Christmas present?
A: Don’t wait for the last minute – that’s a lesson I’m trying to learn!
Renouk Wijemanne
Q: What’s the worst part about the holidays when it comes to sticking to a fitness routine?
A: Lots of parties, rich food, late nights, and spending time with friends and family visiting from overseas – these make sticking to a schedule next to impossible.
Q: What can’t you do without during the festive season?
A: Christmas carols
Q: If you could spend your holidays anywhere in the world, where would you like to be – and why?
A: Sri Lanka or anywhere in the southern hemisphere – because I like a warm Christmas.
Q: Does your family have any unique holiday traditions – and if so, what are they?
A: Yes, my wife makes a festive chicken and vegetable soup that goes well with string hoppers. We have it for lunch every Christmas Eve.
DEFINITIONS
CHRISTMAS
Celebrating the birth of Jesus or Emmanuel – which means ‘God is with us’
LOVE
Selflessness
2024
Opportunities
HAPPINESS
The sound of my kids laughing
SEASONAL FAVOURITES
TRADITION
Christmas morning in church
DECORATIONS
Lights
CHARACTERS
Angels
MOVIE
Home Alone
CHRISTMAS WISH LIST
Good health for my parents
Economic breakthrough for Sri Lanka
College fund for my kids
NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS
Being more consistent with workouts
Better time management
Getting more sleep
COLLECTIVE QUESTIONS
Q: What does the perfect Christmas look like to you?
A: Being surrounded by friends and family
Q: What makes the best last-minute Christmas present?
A: My wife’s children’s book – Mr Choon Paan