“Dim dawn behind the tamerisks — the sky is saffron-yellow –
As the women in the village grind the corn,
And the parrots seek the riverside, each calling to his fellow
That the Day, the staring Easter Day is born.”

So begins Rudyard Kipling’s “Christmas in India“, a poem which exalts the glories of Jesus’s birth in the subcontinent. Indeed, Christmas is a national holiday in India, despite the larger population of Hindu and Muslims in the country. December 25th is also known as Bada Din (the big day) since this day marks the start of the period when each day lengthens compared to previous days. Each state in the sub-continent of India celebrate Christmas in its own unique way.

For instance, a lot of Indians light oil-burning lamps at night and place them on top of walls and the edge of flat roofs. Christian houses are beautifully decorated with bells, flowers, and gifts for children. Instead of fir trees, people adorn banana or mango trees. Major cities and towns host processions throughout the streets, carrying tableaus portraying the life of Jesus and his disciples.

On Christmas Day itself, people attend special midnight masses in churches, dressed in their best clothes. The churches themselves are beautified with red flowers such as poinsettias. Afterwards, families go home for a feast (with plenty of curry dishes), followed by gift-giving. The state of Goa comes alive during Christmas, when thousands of foreigners head towards its beaches. The former Portugese colony has numerous churches and Catholic schools which openly celebrate this holiday, and many places here welcome singing and dancing to mark the occasion.

The winter season is also a time for many festivals in India, as well. A major Hindu holiday that occurs before Christmas is Deepavali, also known as The Festival of Lights. It is marked with the decoration and repainting of houses, lighting of earthen lamps and firecrackers, and inviting close friends and relatives for a special feast at home. The lamp-lighting is a ritual of paying respect to goddess Lakshmi for the attainment of health, wealth, and other blessings. Occurring during late October to November, Hindus prepare for the festival weeks before the actual event. Shops start selling greeting cards, flowers, and Punjabi suits. Deepavali is a particularly enjoyable time for children, who get up as early as 3 in the morning for a traditional oil bath, followed by the wearing of festive garments, and the lighting of lamps, scented sticks, and most especially firecrackers. The festival is also a time for special delicacies to be served, such as halwa, burfi, and laddu, as well as favorite dishes like chicken tandoori and prawn sambal. A similar festival called Kojagara is also celebrated in some parts of India, especially in the Budelkand region.

Other winter celebrations include the Pushkar festivals, when cattle and camel are brought in for trade at the small town of Pushkar in Rajasthan. There are also holy men (sadhus) that visit to immerse themselves in the sacred waters of Pushkar Lake. On the last day of the festival, earthen lamps (diyas) are set alight and set on floating leaves to drift on the lake surface. Rajasthan comes alive during its winter festival, with folk dancers performing many traditional Gair, Ghoomar, and Daph dances. Another, Skanda Shasti, is observed in South India in the Tamil month Tulam during October to November. Skanda is the second son of Shiva and there are six places in South India that are considered sacred to him. The temples in these places are jam-packed with thousands of devotees during the six days before shasti.

Recent terrorist attacks in Mumbai have politicians call for a lower profile of Christmas and other winter celebrations. It was suggested in the spirit of unity with the victims of the attacks as well as to avoid any mass assemblies in churches and other religious sites. Nevertheless, Christmas and other holy celebrations during the last months of the year is a special time for both residents and visitors, and is marked with feasting, gift-giving, and goodwill among men. If you find yourself in the sub-continent during the yuletide season, just remember to greet the locals with a “Merry Christmas” in the appropriate dialect.

Hindi/Urdu     : Ba de Din ki Mubarak
Sanskrit      : Krismasasya shubhkaamnaa
Bengali    : Barodiner shubhechha janai
Tamil         : Christhu Jayanthi Nalvaalthukal

….Call a truce, then, to our labors — let us feast with friends and neighbors,
And be merry as the custom of our caste;
For if “faint and forced the laughter,” and if sadness follow after,
We are richer by one mocking Christmas past.

Posted in Events, India

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