Christmas in India

Despite cultural differences between the U.S. and India, many Indian Christmas traditions are familiar to us – attending the Midnight Mass, indulging in traditional food with family, and exchanging gifts.

Indians also decorate Christmas trees, have Santa Claus, and go caroling, but each of these customs has some peculiarities that make it unique.

Although Indians are prevalent Hindus, and not every state celebrates Christmas to the same extent, holiday cheer can be felt all around the country.

Midnight Mass

Catholics represent under 2% of India’s population, but they are highly devoted to their religion and consider attending a Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve a must. People attend church before starting their Christmas celebrations to commemorate the birth of Christ.

Midnight Mass in India starts at midnight or slightly earlier and lasts for about two hours. The Cathedral of Mary Help of Christians in the Shillong mountains is always beautifully adorned with fairy lights, welcoming visitors from all over the region.

Shillong is considered India’s music capital, so Midnight Mass attendees can listen to beautiful choir singing and live music. St. Paul’s Cathedral in Kolkata is a notable example of colonial-era architecture and one of the largest Catholic churches in India.

The cathedral fits thousands of people every Christmas Eve, and its stellar acoustics make hymn singing sound truly angelic. The Basilica of Our Lady of The Mount in Mumbai amazes with its architectural majesty, enormous size, and colorful lighting.

Every church in India, big or small, sets up an elaborate Nativity Scene depicting infant Jesus in his crib, Mary, Joseph, farm animals, shepherds, and the Magi. Indian cathedrals take a modern twist on traditional decorations, often highlighting them in neon colors.

Tropical Christmas Tree

Christmas trees are integral to Christmas celebrations worldwide, even in Africa. Unfortunately, pines and firs aren’t native to India, but the country has plenty of other beautiful trees locals can decorate for holidays.

Locals have to be creative and often adorn banana and mango trees with baubles and tinsel. Others make Christmas trees from green bananas and other fruits or gift boxes. However, most locals simply put up a faux fir.

Those who prefer the fragrance of fresh balsam fir, though, can buy one in a natural reserve where evergreens are grown in limited quantities.

Overall, Indian Christmas tree decorations aren’t different from American or European, featuring colorful baubles, garlands, fairy lights, and a star on the top. Some decorations are unique to the region, like embossed and beaded elephant, tiger, and tropical fruit ornaments.

Main city squares put up grandiose faux Christmas trees to embrace the holiday cheer, but the extent of town decorations largely depends on the percentage of the Christian population.

Christmas Decorations in India

India is a colorful, vibrant country, so Indian Christmas decorations are bound to be buoyant and festive. Forget about refined, muted color palettes – festive decorations in India burst with all rainbow colors.

People put up decorations in their homes and public places at the end of November. Nativity Scenes are widespread in India, but more common are colorful paper star lanterns, often handmade.

Indian Nativity scenes are called Christmas cribs, and families usually come together to make one. Some neighborhoods have friendly competitions for the best Christmas crib.

An interesting Indian Christmas custom is setting up the entire Nativity scene but not placing Jesus in his crib until Christmas Eve.

Santa figurines, angels, baubles, and wreaths are also popular, but even such universal Christmas symbols have unique Indian peculiarities. For example, instead of garlands with tinsel and plastic ornaments, Indians hang garlands from banana or mango leaves.

Christmas Food in India

Christmas food in India differs by region. In coastal towns, people often eat sanna, steamed spongy rice cakes with coconut and Goan toddy – sap from palm tree flowers. The batter is fermented for several hours and steamed in individual molds.

Sanna is served with a variety of curries and toppings. In some regions, people eat kofta, deep-fried meatballs with hardboiled eggs inside, served in tomato-yogurt gravy or curry sauce.

Another unique and delicious Indian Christmas dish is Mughlai Biryani, primarily eaten in northern regions. The dish contains lamb cooked in spices, garlic, rice, ginger paste, onions, and yogurt.

A more familiar to foreigners Indian Christmas food is chicken tikka masala, featuring a mouth-watering combination of chicken fillet and thick, smokey sauce. Another chicken-based recipe is tandoori chicken, made with yogurt, garlic paste, and tandoori masala.

Malai prawn in thick coconut gravy with spices, onions, chilis, and tomatoes is a delicious blend of sweet and spicy for seafood admirers. Palak Paneer made with cheese, spinach, fenugreek leaves, and tomatoes is perfect for people preferring milder-flavored dishes.

Vegetarians would appreciate mutter paneer, a dish made with rice, onion, tomato, ginger, and garlic paste, served with gravy and naan bread.

Overall, northeast Indian Christmas dinner is more meat-based, whereas dinner in the south includes more vegetarian dishes. People in the north often cook smoked pork with fermented bamboo shoots or pork with black sesame seeds.

Christmas desserts in India are plentiful. Nuereos, fluffy crunchy pastry envelopes with coconut filling, are a dream of coconut lovers, whereas kulkuls, deep-fried pastry balls coated in sugar, may be familiar to Portuguese.

Coconut toffee, marzipan fruits, and chocolate walnut fudge are popular to-go treats. A chewy guava cheese is a perfect dessert for people wishing to stay fit, and layered cake with coconut, eggs, sugar, and flour bebinca is a must-have on every festive table.

Paper Lanterns & Clay Lamps

In India, paper lanterns symbolize the triumph of good over evil, so many people display handmade lanterns shaped like stars in their homes and outdoors. In some neighborhoods, people connect paper lanterns between their houses with strings to create a lit-up pathway.

In southern regions, people place clay lamps on their house roofs to symbolize the star that guided the Three Wise Men to Jesus.

Indian Carols & Nativity Plays

Indians love music and consider it a vital element of any celebration, including Christmas. Local kids go caroling throughout the 12 Days of Christmas, and people listen to popular holiday tracks while celebrating with their families.

There aren’t many Christmas songs produced in India, so locals typically sing famous carols such as Silent Night, We Three Kings of Orient, 12 Days of Christmas, and I Saw Three Ships.

However, many of these carols are translated to the Hindu language and other languages spoken in India – there are 22 main languages and endless dialects! Indian versions of popular Christmas carols aren’t simple translations but proper covers with videos and remixes using traditional instruments.

Local artists have recently been releasing more and more Christmas tracks that may soon replace foreign music. Schools and churches stage Nativity plays on Christmas morning, where children depict the birth and life of Christ.

Indian Nativity plays typically end with hymn singing and Santa distributing toffee and small toys to kids.

Santa on a Horse

Indian Santa Claus is called Santa Baba in Hindi, translating as Father Christmas. However, depending on the language, he may go under the names Natal Bua, Christmas Thaathaa, Baba Christmas, or Christmas Papa.

Santa in India is very similar to American Santa – he also wears a red fur-trimmed suit with a black buckled belt and a hat with a pompom.

However, the Indian Santa is usually more slender than the American one and rides a horse rather than a sleigh pulled by reindeer. Indian Santa Claus doesn’t eat cookies with milk, but some children will leave him tropical fruits and nuts.

Since India’s climate is hot, locals don’t have chimneys for Santa to slip through and fireplaces to hang stockings, so Santa usually leaves gifts under the Christmas tree or in shoes.

Christmas Festivals

Goa is a popular tourist destination year-round. Goa beaches welcome locals and country visitors to vibrant festivals filled with delicious Indian food, music, and dancing at Christmas time.

Nightlife in Goa is a fantastic experience – the streets and houses are lit up in fairy lights and festive displays, people wear creative festival masks, and the warm climate allows partying all night long.

Other popular Christmas festivals in India occur in Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, and Chennai. In Kochi, local artists perform live music and dance at the annual Kochi-Muziris Biennale Festival.

The festival visitors can also witness a firework show, sporting competitions, and decorated elephants.

Where To Celebrate Christmas in India?

Christmas isn’t a predominant holiday in India, so some states celebrate it more than others. Goa has a large Catholic population and developed tourism, so it’s one of the best places to celebrate Christmas in India.

Kolkata is another must-visit town for foreigners in India at Christmas time, offering an array of activities for every preference, including the Kolkata Christmas Festival.

Mumbai is famous for its Catholic churches, caroling concerts, and Christmas markets. Delhi, India’s capital, blends various cultures and encourages people of all religions to freely celebrate their holidays.