How To Celebrate Christmas In India

Christmas is an annual commemoration of the birth of Jesus Christ. It is celebrated worldwide on December 25 every year. Christmas day is a gazetted holiday in India. It is celebrated with pomp, gaiety and devotion across the nation.

Celebrations of Christmas are marked by carols, cakes, candles and decoration of Christmas trees. The festival is joyfully celebrated by people of all religions and communities, especially in metropolitan cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Chennai.

Christians attend special church services and many exchange gifts, wear new clothes and decorate their homes. Nowadays, many stores and malls put up Christmas decorations, including a beautifully decorated Christmas tree.

Schools celebrate Christmas by organizing plays which depict the birth of Jesus Christ. Carols, songs and dramas make these celebrations even more joyful. All students including the non-Christian ones enthusiastically participate in such celebrations.

Customs for Christmas celebrations vary across India largely because of the local cultural influence. In South India, for instance, Christians light clay lamps on the rooftops and walls of their houses, the same way as Hindus decorate their homes during the Diwali festival. Besides, in several states of India, people decorate banana or mango tree instead of traditional pine tree. In Mumbai, which has one of the largest Roman Catholic communities in India, there is a tradition to depict nativity scenes and decorate home with big stars.