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Christmas
The Christian festival of the birth of Jesus, kept in India with midnight Mass, cribs, carols and cake.
Also known as: Bada Din, Nativity of Jesus
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When is it observed?
Christmas is on 25 December every year, a fixed date in the Gregorian calendar, so it does not follow a lunar tithi. The celebrations begin on Christmas Eve, the evening of 24 December, with midnight services.
About Christmas
Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ, whom Christians believe to be the Son of God. It is the most widely kept Christian festival and, in India, is also a public holiday enjoyed by people of every faith, often called Bada Din, the "big day".
Homes are cleaned and decorated with stars, lights and a Christmas tree, and churches hold services, most famously the midnight Mass on Christmas Eve. Families share a festive meal, exchange gifts and visit neighbours, and many streets are lit up in the weeks before.
Significance
For Christians the day recalls the Incarnation: God taking human form to bring love, hope and forgiveness to the world. Advent, the four weeks before, is a season of prayer and waiting, and Christmas marks the arrival of that hope.
It is also a festival of giving and kindness. Church communities collect food and clothing for the needy, carol singers go from house to house, and the cheerful atmosphere has made the season a shared, open-hearted occasion across communities in India.
How Christmas is observed
- 1Prepare in Advent with prayer, cleaning the house, and setting up a Christmas tree, stars and lights.
- 2Build a crib (nativity scene) with figures of Mary, Joseph, the infant Jesus, shepherds and the three wise men, and place the baby Jesus in it on Christmas Eve.
- 3Attend the midnight Mass or the Christmas Eve service at church, with hymns and the reading of the Nativity story.
- 4Sing carols, at church or in groups that go from door to door in the neighbourhood.
- 5Greet one another with "Merry Christmas" on the morning of 25 December and attend the Christmas Day service.
- 6Share the festive meal and sweets: plum cake, rose cookies, kulkuls, roast chicken or other family dishes, depending on the community.
- 7Exchange gifts, visit relatives and neighbours, and give to those in need.
The story
The Gospels of Luke and Matthew tell that Mary, a young woman of Nazareth, was told by the angel Gabriel that she would bear a son, Jesus. A Roman census took Mary and her husband Joseph to Bethlehem, where no room was found at an inn and the child was born in a stable and laid in a manger.
Shepherds in the fields were told of the birth by angels and came to see the child, and wise men from the east, guided by a star, brought gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. The 25 December date was fixed by the early Church, and it is not claimed to be a recorded birth date.
What to do
- ✓Attend church or spend time in quiet prayer and thought.
- ✓Decorate the house with a tree, a crib and lights.
- ✓Greet people of all faiths warmly and share cake and sweets.
- ✓Give to the poor, orphanages or old-age homes.
- ✓Spend time with family and with those who are alone.
What to avoid
- ✕Do not turn the day only into shopping and excess.
- ✕Avoid drinking and driving while celebrating.
- ✕Do not waste food or make loud noise that disturbs neighbours.
- ✕Avoid mocking the beliefs of others.
- ✕Do not forget those who cannot celebrate.
Around the country
- Goa: midnight Mass in old churches, cribs in homes, and sweets such as bebinca and neureos.
- Kerala: Syrian Christian and Latin communities hold carol services, make star lanterns and cook appam with stew.
- Northeast India (Nagaland, Mizoram, Meghalaya): large community celebrations, with choirs and feasts for days.
- Kolkata and Mumbai: in Kolkata, the lights of Park Street, midnight Mass at St. Paul's Cathedral and Anglo-Indian plum cakes; in Mumbai, crowds at churches such as Mount Mary Basilica in Bandra, and Christmas fairs.
Frequently asked questions
Why is Christmas on 25 December?
The early Church chose this date to celebrate the birth of Jesus. It is a fixed date in the Gregorian calendar, though some Orthodox churches that follow the Julian calendar keep it in January.
Why is Christmas called Bada Din in India?
The Hindi and Urdu name "Bada Din", the big day, reflects the importance of the festival. After the winter solstice, days also begin to lengthen slightly.
What is midnight Mass?
It is the church service held late on Christmas Eve, around midnight, to welcome the birth of Jesus with hymns, readings and Communion.