Christmas is related to giving gifts. The practice of giving gifts, which goes back to the 15th century, contributed to the view that Christmas was a secular holiday focused on family and friends.
Cities like Goa, Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai are home to thousands of Roman Catholics. Therefore, midnight mass is considered to be an important part of the grand Christmas celebration in India. All the family members get together and walk to the church for the mass. After the midnight mass a big Christmas feast of wonderful delicacies is consumed by the participants of the mass. The midnight mass comes to an end after the beautifully-wrapped gifts are exchanged. Christmas celebration adds beauty to the cities because every church is generously decorated with Christmas adornments like Christmas star, lot of flowers, aromatic candles, and glittering lights. Christmas brings ecstasy in the surroundings with twinkling lightning, traditional tree décor, and Christmas songs playing non-stop.
In Christian households, preparations for Christmas begin at least a month in advance. People get their homes whitewashed and indulge in spring cleaning of the house to give it a fresh new look and then decorate the Christmas tree and decorate the ‘crib’ which symbolizes birth of Jesus. Christmas Crib exhibits figures of baby Jesus, Mother Mary, Joseph, angels kings and so on. You’ll always find a star in every Christian home you visit as it represents birth of Jesus. It holds a very special meaning for them.
Unity in Diversity: In South India, Christians light big earthen lamp on their roofs to symbolize that Jesus is the light of the world. In north-west India, the Christians narrate the Christmas story and sing melodious carols in their own dialects. In south-west India devotees go on a fast from the 1st December until the midnight mass service on 24th December.
Goa because of its sizeable Roman Catholic population, and also due to the Portugal influence, follows many western traditions. The locals add sparkle to the area by beautifying the churches, streets, market areas, and houses with dolled up Christmas trees, hanging star-shaped lanterns and going around the neighbourhood singing traditional carols. The most famous traditional treat, second to the sumptuous fruit cake, is ‘nevaries’ that resemble small pastries stuffed with dry fruits and coconut. Another famous sweet is ‘dodol’ which is like a toffee that has a perfect blend of cashew and coconut. On Christmas Eve, families host parties and feasts. Traditional Christmas dinner with roast turkey or chicken and drinks are highlight of the feast. People head to church for the midnight mass service where the church bells are rung to announces the arrival of the Christmas Day. Possibly Goa is the best place to celebrate Christmas in India.
In North-East India especially Meghalaya has a considerable population of Christians who celebrate the birth anniversary of Christ with pomp and splendour. During Christmas the North-East Indian cities looks most picturesque. The streets, the churches and the homes are decorated with beautiful lights and one can easily feel the excitement in the air. The Churches see huge crowds with bands playing soulful gospel music. The beauty of the region, its food and the general excitement for Christmas makes being here a memorable experience.
Kolkata which had a colonial stronghold during British regime has a very strange relationship with Christmas. Even though there aren’t many Christians in the city leaving out the Anglo-Indian community, Kolkata is a place in India where Christmas celebration is like its own festival. The churches are decorated, the streets are lit up and people of all ages go out for shopping. For many though Christmas means the delicious cakes and the bakeries in town are usually overflowing with customers during Christmas.
In north-west India, the tribal Christians of the Bhil folk, go out night after night for a week at Christmas to sing their own carols the whole night through. They go to surrounding villages singing to people and telling the Christmas story.
In Daman and Diu, the festival has a different charm and is celebrated with a Portuguese flavour. A big variety of cultural shows are organised. Visitors can see Corrindinho Portuguese folk dance by the residents. Vibrant lamps brighten the night sky. In fact, Daman and Diu are the best places to spend Christmas celebrations.
Pondicherry is known as the French town of India, which is quiet and serene due to it facing the blue Bay of Bengal. This city is unique in its architectural character and a remarkably well-preserved heritage. During Christmas, this town lights up with bright decorations and the festive atmosphere of Christmas. The beautiful ancient architecture, beautiful beaches, and the quintessential French cuisine make it a favourite place to celebrate Christmas.
Finally, the message of Christmas is about hope, sharing, love and it is also about good deeds. God helps those who believe in helping others.