Christmas Festival
Christianity came to India in a.d. 52.
Twenty years after the crucifixion of Christ, one of his apostles, St.
Thomas, is said to have landed on the Malabar Coast, established a few
churches and converted a number of local inhabitants in Kerala.
This was the first Christian settlement in the subcontinent –
the Syrian Church. Today the ‘Syrian Christians’ (as they
are known, owing to their spiritual practices and adoption of the
Syrian liturgy) form the oldest Christian community in India.
The Syrian Orthodox Church functions as an autonomous body under its
Indian prelate but remains loyal to the spiritual preeminence of the
Patriarch of Antioch (the ancient capital of Syria).
¤ Advent of Christianity In India
The 15th century was marked by the advent of the
Europeans and the beginning of a slow but sustained missionary
activity that gained momentum in the 16th century.
The first church in North India was established in Lahore (now in
Pakistan), under the rule of Akbar (1556-1605) the greatest Mughal
emperor, known for formulating the Din-i-Illahi (‘Universal
Religion’, formulated by combining the salient features of
various religions).
Today, India is home to 23 million Christians, 50% of whom live in
Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Christians constitute 2.3% of India’s
total population and form the third most prominent religion in India
after Hinduism and Islam.
Christians form a majority of the total population in the eastern
states of Mizoram and Nagaland, a third of the population of Goa and a
quarter of the population of the coastal state of Kerala. But the
influence of Christianity can be seen and felt through the length and
breadth of the country.
¤ Biggest Festival of Christians
Christmas is the biggest Christian festival and one of the national
festivals of India. It celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ on the 25th
December every year.
¤ Merriment Celebrations
The towns and villages dress up for the yuletide spirit. Shops get
ready to do brisk business and offer mega discounts and sales. Markets
are packed with huge crowds. People buy new clothes, gifts (exchanging
gifts is an age-old Christmas practice and people choose gifts for
their loved ones with great thought and affection), a variety of
things to cook, Christmas decorations, amongst other things.
Folks send Christmas greetings to their friends and families in
faraway places. People decorate their homes to the hilt with Christmas
trees (or the various substitutes available in the markets), wreathes
with bright red decorative baubles, festoons, bells and other small
trinkets.
In Kerala and Tamil Nadu, people hang beautiful star-shaped paper
lamps of various colours and sizes outside their homes. The star lamps
of Kerala are however more elaborate with some patterns or cutwork
designs on them.
Nearly a week before Christmas, the church, club and school choirs
start doing the rounds of their neighbourhood and are greeted by
people with cakes and other eatables. Christmas carols are sung in
various local languages all over the country.
¤ Special Prayers
Churches hold a special Midnight Mass, attended by most people of the
community. People especially look forward to this Mass, as this is not
only a sacred prayer ceremony but an important social event as well.
Men and women wear new clothes and come for the Mass looking and
smelling their absolute best. The Mass goes on for over a couple of
hours and people fondly remember the Saviour who gave up his life so
that they may live. The ceremonies held in Calcutta, Kottayam (this
town in Kerala has the headquarters of the Syrian Church and also a
sizeable Roman Catholic population), Delhi, Sardhana (U.P), Martandam
(Tamil Nadu), Aizawl (Mizoram), Kohima (Nagaland), Shillong
(Meghalaya), Panaji (Goa) and Pondicherry are worth a special mention.
¤ The Festive Celebration
After the mass, people head off home on this hallowed night, and
children gambol on their way back, burning sparklers and bursting
loads of crackers. Everyone sleeps with a peaceful easy feeling, as
the next morning brings with it, the Big Day! On Christmas Day, people
get ready for the biggest feast. Relatives and friends visit and wish
each other a ‘Happy Christmas’ or a ‘Merry Christmas’
and eat the ‘haute cuisine’ especially prepared for the
occasion. Many towns hold special carnivals and circus shows on the 25th
and the entire community gets together to have a jolly good time.
Young people organise excursions, go out to watch films and shows and
generally live it up. Thus, all to soon, Christmas comes to an end but
each year, it leaves the people with more memories to cherish.
Get extensive information on Christmas.
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