Christmas(Рождество) в 🇮🇳 Индия

Christmas in India, known as Bada Din (Big Day) in Hindi, is celebrated by the country's roughly 28 million Christians as well as embraced by many non-Christians as a secular festival of joy. India's extraordinary diversity means Christmas looks different in every region.

In Goa, with its Portuguese Catholic heritage, Christmas is celebrated with great fervor. Houses are decorated with stars, nativity scenes called cribos are displayed in churches and homes, and the Goan feast features sorpotel (spicy pork stew), vindaloo, sanna (steamed rice cakes), and bebinca (a layered coconut dessert). Midnight Mass in Goa's baroque churches, including the Basilica of Bom Jesus, draws huge crowds.

In Kerala, another state with a significant Christian population, Christmas is called Annarkali and churches are elaborately decorated. Families serve appam (lace-edged rice pancakes) with stew, Kerala-style biryani, and plum cake. Star-shaped lanterns are hung in windows, and fireworks light up the night.

In Northeast India, particularly Meghalaya, Nagaland, and Mizoram, where Christianity is the majority faith, Christmas is the biggest celebration of the year with community feasting, choir competitions, and decorating entire villages. In metropolitan cities like Mumbai, Delhi, and Bangalore, Christmas has become a commercial and social event with mall decorations, sales, and parties that include people of all faiths.

Christian holiday celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed on December 25 worldwide with gift-giving, festive meals, church services, and diverse cultural traditions.