Mervin Adrin DeSilva (left) and his son, Lucas Kyle DeSilva, share a passion for sprucing up the Portuguese Settlement for Christmas. Photos: The Star/Azlina Abdullah

Christmas is always a highlight in fisherman Mervin Adrin DeSilva’s home. For the DeSilvas – who live in the Portuguese Settlement in Ujong Pasir, Melaka – decorating their house ahead of Dec 25 is a longstanding tradition.

This year, DeSilva, 57, and his son, fisherman Lucas Kyle DeSilva, 21, have taken that tradition a step further by helping to transform the Settlement Square into a vibrant Christmas wonderland.

They are among 23 volunteers, including members of the Settlement’s Jawatankuasa Pembangunan dan Keselamatan Kampung (JPKK), who have been working tirelessly to decorate the neighbourhood.

This is the second year that JPKK – with support from Settlement regedor (headman) Oliver Lopez, 62 – has come together to spruce up the area for the festive season. This is also the second year that DeSilva and his son have joined the village’s decorating effort.

Despite the harsh sun, Lucas does his bit to decorate the Settlement for Christmas.

“Since mid-November, we have been pitching in to prepare for the celebrations.

“It’s a lot of work – decorating Christmas trees, painting figurines, and touching up decorations. Doing all this in the heat is not easy,” says DeSilva as he hangs baubles on the six-metre Christmas tree – the tallest in Ujong Pasir – at the Settlement Square.

As volunteers, everyone chips in whenever they can.

The DeSilvas work in the evenings after returning from sea.

Six-year-old Scarlett Lily Lowe marvels at the Christmas decorations in the Settlement Square.

“There’s always something to do each day to spruce up the decorations. We are part of the construction team and are assigned different tasks daily,” DeSilva explains.

The results are spectacular.

The towering Christmas tree is decked with gleaming red, gold and silver baubles.

Santa's sleigh, reindeer and twinkling lights bring festive cheer to the Settlement Square ahead of Christmas. Photo: Joanne SequerahPolystyrene reindeer, all made and painted by volunteers, line the archways. Santa’s sleigh, sparkling garlands and rows of bauble-laden trees complete the festive mood.

A community tradition

The Settlement was established nearly 100 years ago to preserve the heritage of the Kristang people – descendants of early Portuguese settlers.

Christmas decorations in the Settlement typically go up at the start of Advent – the four weeks leading to Christmas – until the Feast of the Epiphany on Jan 6, which celebrates the Three Wise Men visiting baby Jesus.

Homes are decorated with bright lights, colourful baubles and ornaments, creating a cheerful atmosphere. Every year, hundreds of visitors come to see the area turn into a sparkling Christmas wonderland after dark.

Santa Claus makes a lively appearance at the Portuguese Settlement. Photo: Joanne SequerahJust last Saturday, more than 200 children in festive outfits gathered for the Settlement’s annual Christmas party. DeSilva and the volunteers had worked hard to make sure the Square looked its best for the kids.

“We have always had a Christmas event for the kids – it’s a big tradition here. I grew up with it, so helping to decorate the Settlement is my way of giving back and keeping that Christmas spirit alive for the children,” says the grandfather of nine.

Lucas agrees that decorating the Square wasn’t easy, but he knows the importance of going the extra mile to keep the community’s traditions alive.

“Many of the youth have left the village for better job opportunities in Kuala Lumpur or Singapore. Those who stay have to pitch in and help. I wouldn’t feel right leaving Dad and the older ones to do all the decorating.

“The hardest part was balancing my long days as a fisherman with decorating the Square after work. I am always exhausted, especially under the hot sun.

“But I continue to do it as it’s for my community,” says the tanned youth, his hair already dyed blonde in festive spirit.

Festive cheer fills the Settlement Square as families and children gather for the Portuguese Settlement’s annual Christmas celebration. Photo: Joanne Sequerah

Adrian Danker, 57, who is a JPKK member and Christmas organising committee chairman, expresses his gratitude for the volunteers’ dedication.

The father of one explains that volunteering plays an important role in uniting the community.

“It’s all in the spirit of Christmas. Without this collective effort, everyone would decorate on their own, and the sense of community would be lost.

“Working together allows people to bond and get to know one another. This is important in a settlement of nearly 1,000 residents, many of whom might not otherwise meet. This project truly brings everyone together,” says Danker, adding that RM30,000 was spent to decorate the Settlement for the yuletide season.

Decorating together brings the whole community closer – that’s the spirit of Christmas, says Danker.

He hopes more young people will join the effort next year.

“Many kids from the Settlement have grown up, gotten married and moved away. During Advent, they return to visit their parents and decorate their own homes. For example, my son works as a cabin crew in Singapore. When he’s back, he helps decorate our home for Christmas, and if he has extra time, he joins me in decorating the Settlement. I can’t expect him to do too much since he works outstation, but we’re grateful for any help he offers.

“Helping with the Settlement decorations is a bigger commitment, so we would gladly welcome extra helping hands next Advent,” says Danker, a logistics manager for a manufacturing company in Muar, Johor.

Behind the decorations

The decorations at the Settlement are impressive, and it’s commendable that the volunteers have created such an elaborate display, one that could easily rival professional setups.

Felix (left) and JPKK member Joanna Sequerah putting up decorations at the Settlement Square.

Clarence Felix, 61, a hotel chef, is the mastermind behind this year’s decorations and heads the Settlement’s Christmas construction efforts.

His decades of experience as a hotel chef, along with his hands-on skills in carving and sculpting, have been invaluable in creating polystyrene figures like reindeer, Santa Claus, sleighs and the Three Kings from the nativity set.

Felix says his passion for arts and crafts has been a big help in designing the Christmas decorations.

“I come from a family of artists who love arts and crafts. When I was asked to take charge of the decorations, I wanted to do my absolute best to make the place look beautiful.

“Together with the team, we planned a layout featuring key Christmas elements like reindeer, Santa Claus, Christmas tree and the nativity set,” says the father of two, adding that this is his second year leading the Settlement’s Christmas decorations.

The Portuguese Settlement comes alive as volunteers turn the square into a sparkling Christmas wonderland.

He says a large portion of the decorations are recycled from last year, but many require careful touch-ups.

“Many of the items are made from polystyrene, which is very fragile. Heavy wind or rain can easily break them, and crows sometimes peck at them, leaving holes. The decorations must be handled with great care, as even carrying them can cause damage, and occasionally new items have to be made to replace broken ones.”

Felix, who grew up in the Settlement, says Christmas decorations at the Settlement Square are part and parcel of the festivities.

“When I was growing up, the nativity set was made with the Three Kings carved from wood and a stable built from wood and dried leaves. These days, volunteers create the entire set from polystyrene, which is much easier to shape and handle than carving everything by hand.”

Overall, he’s happy with how things turned out this year.

“Working tirelessly to set up the decorations has brought the 23 of us closer. That’s what Christmas is all about – a time to come together and celebrate as a community.”

It’s all in the spirit of Christmas. Without this collective effort, everyone would decorate on their own, and the sense of community would be lost.

Deck the halls