Christmas is a festival that is celebrated by billions of people around the world by singing Christmas carols and exchanging Christmas gifts. It is one of the most popular Christian festivals celebrated on the 25th of December every year, around the globe. The festive season marks the birth, life, sacrifices, and teachings of Jesus Christ – The Savior. Christmas celebrations are as much about lights, decorations, Xmas trees, and Santa Claus as it is about Jesus Christ. In India, Christmas is celebrated with equal zeal and passion as it is in other parts of the world. Also, giving Christmas its flavor.
Let us also see, in India, which are some of the best places to celebrate Christmas.
Goa
Goa is famous for its magnificent beaches and nightlife. Goa is the best place for the Christmas celebration in India. The city has a Catholic population and Portuguese heritage, the festival here is celebrated with an enthralling fervor. Homes and Churches are adorned with poinsettia flowers and beautiful lights while Christmas carols are sung by children late into the night. The midnight mass at the church’s witness People of all ages lining up to take part. Christmas in Goa is very popular, attracting numerous tourists from various parts of the country and the world to its shores, who witness this vibrant festival and go around shopping Xmas gifts for boyfriend, girlfriend, friends, family, and relatives.
Mumbai
Mumbai is another word for a fast-paced life. Yet, the city has a rich colonial history, and the receiver of many migrants from different parts of the country and abroad is top-rated for its Xmas celebrations. Bandra, a western suburb of Mumbai, is a place to visit during Christmas. Famous for its Catholic population and the stunningly decorated Hill Road with lighting and flowers during Christmas time. You can also locate Xmas trees decorated and placed on the pavement of the Hill Road, which is put up in the spirit of the festival by the local families. The churches embellished, magnificently lit up, and adorned in the city with people of various religious backgrounds enjoy with friends and family.
Shillong
Shillong is an amazing north-eastern city in the state of Meghalaya and has a large amount of Christian population. They celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ – The Son of God, with grandeur, making it a fantastic place for Christmas celebration in north-east India. The churches, homes, and streets adorned with beautiful lights, and you can feel the festive buzz in the air — the midnight mass in churches witnesses large crowds pouring in with soulful gospel music played by bands. The food, regional beauty, and exciting atmosphere for Christmas make a memorable experience being here.
Manali
The town of Manali, located in the north Indian state of Himachal Pradesh, is witnessing an increased amount of visitors each year, especially during Christmas months. A straightway of vehicles can be seen in the highways of Manali, slowly moving towards the heavenly beauty of Manali. With the city surrounded by several snow tourists from several places and nearby areas, proceed to Manali for celebrating White Christmas.
The festivities go beyond the New Year, with the landscape of Manali covered with erected snowmen. At the entrances of hotels and restaurants, you see Santa clauses standing, and hands out Xmas gifts, and also inviting people for a bite of special delicacies induced with a touch of Himachal cuisine. The visitors are entertained with the Himachal Kullu folk music, to add a blend of local taste to the festive mood. Newly married couples sit cozily at the comfort of their hotels, enjoying a sip of hot chocolate and listening to soft carol music. On the other hand, bonfires are lit outside, where people gather around singing carols and enjoying the chill and watch kids throwing snowballs at each other. Despite the cold, the celebrations going all around accompany a certain amount of cheer and warmth.
Kolkata
Once a colonial stronghold, Kolkata shares a very unusual relationship with Christmas. Not boasting many Christians in the city apart from the Anglo-Indian community, Kolkata is still, a place in India where Christmas celebrations are like a festival of festivals. The embellished church’s, the streets brightened up with lights, and people go out shopping for Xmas gifts. Though, for many people, Christmas means delicious delights like Christmas plum-cake, cream cakes, fruit cakes, pastries, cuisines, and bakeries in the city inundated with customers.
These are some of the popular destinations for celebrating the Christmas holiday season in India. However, you can find more when researching online.
