Mananchira Square once bristled with colorful Christmas and New Year cards. These shiny, glitter-covered cards now give way to WhatsApp stickers, animated e-cards, and Instagram stories. Technology has reshaped how young people express holiday cheer. "The culture of exchanging greeting cards and physical gifts has given way to the convenience of instant messaging. Now, youth spend less money on such sentiments," says Angelina Rachel, a college student. Vendors who used to sell many Christmas cards no longer see the old demand. Shoppers lean more toward practical gifts than cards. Sakunthala K., aged 70, recalls, "But for us, Christmas was the time to write letters and postcards to relatives across the globe." Today, younger people focus on food and togetherness instead of physical presents. Architecture student Dharvesh K.M. explains, "The rule we have for Secret Santa is that the gift has to be something we can eat together. We prefer to go out for a meal and spend time with our friends rather than giving them physical presents." Liyana T.K., a 20-year-old diploma student, prefers cards over digital messages. She says, "This was a wonderful way to express gratitude to those we hold dear. I still prefer greeting cards over any other present. But only a few people gift each other cards now. People opt for digital messages, which are just data, while a physical card is a souvenir." Despite this change, festive spirit continues. A Christmas tree will be set up at Mananchira Square, lit with tiny, glowing lights. The air on S.M. Street smells sweet with freshly baked plum cakes. But stationery shops and bookstalls selling cards miss the attention they once had. "The gifts we exchanged used to carry a story. Today, even that personal connection is lost," says Fernando Wilson, 32. The simple joy of sharing tokens and time seems to be fading into the digital age.