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.

Christmas is classically a peak selling season for retailers in many nations around the world. Sales increase dramatically as all rich and poor purchase gifts, decorations, and supplies to celebrate. In the U.S, the “Christmas shopping season” starts as early as October. In Canada, marketers begin advertising campaigns just before Halloween, (it is a yearly ritual observed in a number of countries to remember all dead people on October 31st), and step up their marketing following Remembrance Day on November 11. In the UK and Ireland, the Christmas shopping season starts from mid November; around the time when high street Christmas lights are turned on to mark the beginning of celebrations. In Mexico it begins from third week.  In the United States, it has been calculated that a quarter of all personal spending takes place during the Christmas shopping season. The winter breeze has a charm in it; shopping in winter is a blissful affair.

Winter season has a rustic appeal. Winter is the coldest season of the year. December and January are chiefly the winter months. Cold winds blow from the north. Thick fog often hides the sun, and cold becomes severe. People are seen basking in the sun, or sitting around the fire, to keep their body warm. In winter, we get lovely fruits and vegetables; it gives us various kinds of seasonal flowers; Dalais, Roses, Lily, Lavender, Primrose, Daisy, and Begonia and many other seasonal beautiful flowers make the season multihued. The winter sky is clear and blue. The roads and paths are clean and dry. You can go for long walks without sweating. The winter sun is mild and warm. Everyone is in full of amusement. The winter season is lit with nice, dim beautiful sconces. The beautiful, cold dew drops on rooftops and ground look as beautiful as pearls. The cold morning with nice music and deep-red rising sun is what people wait for. Winter is indeed a season to be celebrated.

The month of December being the last month of year usually passes fast because of the Christmas and year-end. People usually prefer celebrating year ends in far-off destinations. Therefore after 15^th December you find many people opting for leave. Holiday plans are made well in advance.

And 31st December means celebration for every individual. The New Year carries special symbolism for one and all. And why is the celebration of the New Year so common around the world, as it has been for at least as long as there have been calendars? Behavior that everywhere must surely be tied to something natural in the human beings, something intensely meaningful and important given all the energy and resources we put into both the celebration and our efforts to make good on which we start working well in advance. As common as the celebration of New Year’s Day is, it may be that the symbolism we attach to this one moment is rooted in one of the most powerful motivations of all, and that is our motivation to stay alive another year. And, many of us make list resolutions for the New Year. So what even if we fail to keep most of them…..

At one second past midnight on Sunday, the day will change to Monday, which is otherwise normal ordinary transition that happens every day, with no connotation. But somehow this change, which will end one old year and begin the next New Year 2018. That makes the difference. This unique tick of the clock has always encouraged all of us to celebrate, welcoming the New Year with new zeal and new enthusiasm. On the other hand, some people experience a sense of nostalgia as they reflect on the events that took place in their lives in the past 12 months. To step outside to live day-to-day in which we’re at all times so busy with. For many of us the last day of the year is the day to reflect back; to look flipside, take stock, to assess how we did in the year, and to cheerfully resolve to do better and look forward. Ha! Another year, it’s time to raise our glasses and toast to “our survival” yes, another year to accomplish many more things.

Some people celebrate New Year’s Eve by attending midnight church services, while others gather around in public venues such as hotels, clubs and many gather in friend’s house, grounds etc. The size of festive events for New Year’s Eve varies in size and theme. Some people attend formal masquerade balls while others have costume parties. Many New Year’s Eve celebrations are commenced with firework.

Many people start counting down to New Year’s Day in the last minute or seconds before the last night of the year ends and the New Year begins. Some people tune into watching televised countdowns. As the clock strikes midnight into New Year’s Day, many people celebrate this event by exchanging hugs, kisses, and wish each other a “Happy New Year”. In some parts of the world, including in the United States, many people sing the Scottish song “Auld Lang Syne” during the New Year’s Eve celebrations. The song means can old acquaintances be forgotten and never be brought to mind? The song references the love and kindness that was experienced in the past; it also gives listeners a sense of union and belonging to bring with them into the future. Because of its meaning it’s quite fitting song to be sung on New Year eve.

It is important to note that not all cultures follow the Gregorian calendar in observing New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. But, the Hindus, Chinese, Coptic, Jewish, Islamic calendars differ to that of the Gregorian calendar. However, for businesses around the world, 1^st Jan marks a new beginning of a calendar year.

Here’s wishing you a Merry Christmas!!

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