India is a very diverse country in terms of languages, religions, and traditions. Despite having a very less population of Christians in India. Still, Christmas is celebrated in India with full joy and pleasure. The Christian population in India is almost equally distributed across the country. Some South Indian States like Tamil Nadu, there is a great population settled. They celebrate Christmas according to their local traditions.
One of the biggest celebrations of Christmas is held in the popular Indian city of Mumbai. Most Christians living in Mumbai belong to the Roman Catholic faith.
The Christmas holiday in India is celebrated in a very unique way. A massive feast is arranged in every Christian home in which delicious traditional dishes are prepared such as curries and rice. On Christmas night, the churches across the country are well decorated with flowers particularly Poinsettia flowers along with lighted candles in the church. You will be amazed to know that instead of decorating a popular Christmas tree, the Indian Christians prefer to decorate a banana or mango tree. It’s a local Indian tradition of Christmas that is widely followed across the country.
However; in some Indian states like Goa, a lot of western Christmas traditions are followed due to the historic bond of the Christians living in Goa with Portugal. During Christmas, a lot of people love to enjoy carol singing and local sweets are distributed in neighbourhoods.
Christmas Symbols in India
No one can deny the importance of using Christmas symbols, however; as each country and culture has its own traditions, similarly the Christmas Symbols in India are also very different from other western cultures. Some of the most popular symbols of Christmas in India are following
Small clay made oil burners which are also known as Diya.
Decoration of Banana and Mango leaves or trees.
Decoration of pine trees with colorful lights.
Santa Claus statues.
Christmas Traditions in India
Christmas Shopping
Shopping for Christmas gifts is also one of the most important and popular Indian Christmas traditions. Once the Christmas day is announced by the local Church, everyone goes outside shopping to buy new clothes and other related stuff to celebrate Christmas with their loved ones. Some Christian communities in India buy new clothes and arrange a feast for the poor and orphans living in their neighbourhoods. People buy gifts for their friends and loved ones, even though the gift exchanging tradition is not so popular in India as in western countries, but still, it’s practiced by a great number of Christians living in India.
Christmas Evening
Christmas evening is also celebrated widely across many Indian states having a large number of Christian populations like Goa, Manipur, Nagaland, and many others. On Christmas Eve, everyone goes outside with their loved ones to attend the Christmas parties in clubs, restaurants, and parks. As the Christmas festival is celebrated every year with colorful lights and decoration, many people also go outside for a walk around or driving randomly through the nearby neighborhoods to enjoy colorful lights and decorations.
Christmas Cuisine
Just as India is diverse in its culture, tradition, and religion, it’s also a stronghold of delicious cuisine in south Asia. The preparation of Christmas in India usually starts in the kitchen first; there are so many dishes that are prepared every year on Christmas to serve the guests. Each state in India has its own cuisine, let’s take an example of Nagaland; smoked barbeque is quite popular, while in some states rice dishes are on top of the list.
Family Get Together
A get together of the complete family is also a widely practiced Christmas tradition across all the states of India. Even though it’s a quite natural to spend time with your family on any special occasion or festival, however; on Christmas night, the Christians in India arrange a very big feast for the entire family. Chairs are set up on the lawn or the rooftop of the house, all the decorations and necessary arrangements planned a day before the feast. Some people also invite their relatives who are living in other states to join them for a luxury feast, this Christmas tradition brings a lot of happiness to the house as everyone spends quality time with each other while enjoying their favorite meals.
Christmas Gifts for Kids
Santa Claus has a different name in India; kids call him Santa baba who delivers presents for the children on his horse and cart. The word baba means Father; this word is used to give respect to elderly people. Just like western cultures, the tradition of exchanging gifts on the Christmas holiday in India is also at its peak, many people especially visit markets or bazaars after the announcement of Christmas night, and they buy gifts for their friends and kids.
Christmas 2020 in India Date
Many people in India desperately wait for this day throughout the year, especially those particular people who are busy in their professional life throughout the year and they hardly get a chance to spend some time with their family and relatives. The Christmas 2020 will be on Friday, 25 December 2020. Do you know that Christmas date is not December 25, 2020, you must read all about christmas. You should start the preparations for Christmas at least a month before the final festival day, in this way you will get enough time to buy your favorite Christmas related stuff.
Wrap Up
We hope this Christmas holiday in India will bring happiness and prosperity to your life. However; Christmas isn’t just about spending money on decorations, lights, and presents. You should also offer special prayers to ask God for the forgiveness of your sins and to pray for the healthy long life of your parents. Indian culture is very unique and diverse; each state in India has its own cultural traditions that are full of joy and pleasure.
If you want to know more about the Christmas festival in India and how it is celebrated, don’t forget to check our other posts where we have explained everything related to Christmas celebrations across the world. Don’t forget to share this article on social media with your friends to help them in Christmas preparations.
