10 Places To Celebrate Christmas in India One of the world’s top holidays is Christmas. The Christian community of India constitutes only 5 percent of the Christian population of the world. Christmas, however, is one of the country’s most celebrated festivals and India is considered one of the best places to celebrate tropical Christmas with a little feeling of Indian heritage. In India, there are also numerous places where you can enjoy the popular Christmas style jingle-bells. No introduction is required for Christmas, the celebration of the birth of the Lord Jesus. Christmas occurs every year on Dec 25th.
Christmas is one of the fun-filled times of the year and individuals love to visit different places to celebrate and enjoy during this festive period. In India, there are many attractive places where one can enjoy this festival. The Indian way of celebrating Christmas, however, is much too different from the foreign rituals practised in international destinations, but that does not necessarily state that Indians are not celebrating this festival well. During this festival, there are many places in India that get decorated with beautiful festival colours from the northeast part of India to Bombay and from Kerala to Assam. Explore the best places in India where this festival can actually be celebrated with a lot of pomp and fanfare. You will experience the best of Christmas at these destinations in India and make your Christmas exceptional. So, if you want to celebrate India ‘s Christmas festival and rejoice in the uniqueness of its festivities, here are the 9 best places to visit during Christmas in India:
1. Delhi
This is one of the few non-coastal places in India where Christmas can be celebrated at the highest level. For Christmas activities and shopping, Connaught Place is the best place. To enjoy unique programmes and events, visit Sacred Heart Cathedral. The vibrant state of Delhi is just as enthusiastic as it is always ready for parties; Christmas is therefore another occasion for Delhi residents to host a party in December (or keep partying). Christmas has been seen in India as a festival not celebrated as often as it is in the West, but Delhi paints a different picture. During the Christmas season, you can see the Christian localities shimmering throughout with lights as the whole state rejoices in the Christmas carols and hums to festive tunes.
Although it is true that Delhi is not a state with a Christian majority, the festivities fill the whole state with grandeur! Delhi’s Capital City Minstrel and the Holy Heart Cathedral Choir concert will help you experience just that, even if you want to explore the traditional Christmas festivities in India.
2. Goa
Goa becomes so much more during Christmas, a spot most frequently referred to as a paradise for party lovers; the state shines in its glory during the festivities! Since it houses a large number of Christians, the celebrations in the state are far bigger. Decorated with poinsettia flowers and bright lights, Goa is one of the best locations in India to celebrate Christmas.
You will notice the crowds singing Christmas carols and partying until early morning. Even the parties in Anjuna, Mapusa and Candolim continue throughout the night to ensure that Christmas is celebrated by visitors and locals with the perfect combination of fun and tradition.
3. Kerala
To brighten up your mood, every street in Kerala has beautiful Christmas decorations. Moreover, churches all over have a Midnight Mass that involves an enactment of the birth scene of Lord Jesus, carol singing and more. Although this comes alive with the cathedrals and temples, the backwaters have a charm of their own. For the Christmas holidays, the comfortable environment of the houseboats infused with the festive air is perfect.
Food just can’t be skipped during Christmas festivities in Kerala. Achappam, bread with fish molly, beef curry and traditional Kerala sweets make up the Christmas feast. To stop sky-high rates, if you’re planning a visit, start looking for Christmas holiday offers right away!
4. Pondicherry
Another fabulous place in the country to witness and attend the Christmas festival is Pondicherry. This place is a tiny union territory close to the coast of Tamil Nadu. Owing to the presence of beautiful architecture, beautiful beaches and mouth-watering French cuisine, Pondicherry is also widely referred to as “Little France.” There are a lot of Christians with French heritage here who celebrate the Christmas festival with great enthusiasm. All the traditional merry-making and traditions accompany this.
During the Christmas festivities, you can find some beautifully decorated churches. A majority of individuals in the city assemble at these churches to give midnight mass. You can spend leisure time on the beach in addition to the Christmas celebration, admire the beautiful aquatic life and experience the pleasures at their best.
5. Mumbai
The town of lights and stars, Mumbai, shines when Christmas comes around. Mumbai Street and houses are lit up with bright lights and decorations, another location with a buzzing nightlife and energetic spirits. Throughout all hours of the day, individuals from all walks of life appreciate the Christmas spirit. Market areas and shopping centres offer enticing discounts and are decked out.
You may visit Our Lady of Lourdes in Orlem at around 10-10:30 p.m. to immerse yourself in the true spirit of Christmas. To sing the carol, then go to St Francis d’Assisi in Borivali at 11:30 a.m. for a striking Nativity crib. Mount Mary Basilique in Bandra for Mass at midnight and St Andrew’s Church in Bandra are the most famous and popular churches to attend Mass. In Colaba, the Holy Name Cathedral has a traditional Christian mass that is broadcast live throughout Maharashtra.
Be sure to be on New Years’ Marine Drive for the dazzling display of fireworks. With live shows and music, those who enjoy partying all night can check out the many nightclubs and bars in Mumbai. Thousands of people go down to Mumbai for their Christmas break to have a lively time.
6. Shillong
Shillong The Northeast still has a special direction when it comes to every cultural celebration. The same is true for Christmas, too. With bakeries filling up with delicacies, houses being decorated, shops packed with clients, and so on, all starts very similar. Later, you can find local people celebrating with music and dancing on the streets as the festival approaches.
Guitar music, carol singers, visits to Santa Claus and so on can still be heard in the evenings. A Police Bazar is the perfect place to enjoy Christmas decorations. Midnight masses and many cultural events, including feasts, can be found in the churches. Nagaland, Mizoram and others are other Northeastern destinations to experience a beautiful Christmas.
7. Daman and Diu
This is the location for those who want a Christmas-filled beach. It would fill every inch of this place with colourful lamps and psalms. This is the place to celebrate Christmas in the Portuguese style. Music is the popular feature of this area. During this time of the year, you can find a lot of musical performances.
8. Kolkata
Kolkata is affectionately referred to as ‘The City of Joy,’ and this city welcomes Christmas celebrations joyfully. Kolkata ‘s Park Street area is sparkling with lights and stars and several other decorations. There are numerous streets that are lined with pubs and bars that stay open throughout the festive days all night long! The best sweet Christmas delights can be had at Flury’s. At Christmas time, visitors planning a Kolkata tour can also hear the sweet sound of carols at popular Kolkata churches; a midnight mass is also arranged by St Paul’s Cathedral of Kolkata. In addition, this festival is celebrated in traditional style by the Anglo-Indian groups, and parties and meetings are also arranged to celebrate this festival. It’s one of India’s amazing places to celebrate Christmas and have the best festival experience.
9. Shimla
Shimla Look no further than Shimla if you are looking for a white Christmas in India. Yes, visitors are bound to be bustling with it, but the beauty of its history and views remains unrivalled. By taking a ride on the toy train between Kalka and Shimla, with its dreamy views of snow-draped mountains from the comfort of your cabin, the most romantic way to fly to the hill station is Historic buildings from the British period, such as Viceregal Lodge, A period atmosphere is created by Rothney Castle, Gaiety Theatre, and Woodville Palace, while the cosy restaurants and cafes lining the Mall offer a welcome respite from the chill. By attending a service at Christ Church on the Ridge, hold your date with tradition. This neo-Gothic landmark, built in the mid-19th century, is the second oldest church in northern India. There’s an additional reason to visit this year because, after a period of 22 years, Shimla received snowfall on Christmas.
10. Bangalore
Bangalore If Christmas is all about enticing cuisines and sweets for you, then one of the best places to go is Christmas in Bangalore. The town is spoilt for options, bathed in an exuberant festive spirit and abundant in culinary delights. For their plum cake & ginger tea, Thomsons Bakery for their rum-soaked cake, or Caperberry for a tempting turkey dinner, head to Koshy’s on Christmas eve. In Bangalore, you even have to check out Christmas activities to make it an exciting and eventful affair.