Christmas is one of the top festivals around the world. India’s Christian population comprises just 5% of the world’s Christian population. However, Christmas is one of the most enjoyed festivals of the land and India is considered as one of the best places to enjoy tropical Christmas with a little Indian heritage feel. There are also numerous places in India where you can enjoy the traditional jingle-bells-styled Christmas. Christmas, the celebration of the birth of Lord Jesus, needs no introduction. Christmas falls on Dec 25th of every year.
Apart from the feast, parade, and ceremonies, Christmas is the celebration of sharing, rejoicing, and togetherness. This festival is celebrated with zest in many parts of India. Are you planning to visit India during Christmas time?
Here is a guide to enjoying Christmas in India.
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Feast and wine make an integral part of the celebration. You can find many luxury hotels conducting buffets, Santa Claus visits and much more. From the religious point of view, the celebration starts on Christmas Eve with feasts, programs, and mass in churches around the country.
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This is one of the regions with a large catholic population and it is the best place to enjoy a traditional style Christmas with a fusion of Portuguese and Indian celebrations. Christmas carols would cover the streets putting the Christmas cheer in the air. Every church will have masses and feasts. Many streets and almost all the houses will have Christmas decorations. The marketplaces will be decorated and gift items will be flooding. The best of all is the Fountain has the Latin Quarter of Panjim, where you can find bands, carols, feasts, masses, and many other traditional elements of celebrations.
The top churches to visit in Goa are the Basilica of Bom Jesus, Santa Cruz Church, and Se Cathedral.
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St. Andrews Church
Kolkata is one of the best places to enjoy Durga Pooja and at the same time, it is one of the top places for Christmas too. The Park Street Christmas parade is the iconic attraction of the festival and it is one of the crafted ceremonies in which, the entire street is filled with lights, the shops will be packed with Christmas goodies and freshly baked traditional plum cakes, Santa Clauses, carol singers, and much more. The Christmas celebrations start on the 22nd of December and go way past Christmas and end on December 30th.
The next best attraction of Kolkata is Saint Paul’s Cathedral, which is famous for the Christmas Eve special midnight mass. This 19th-century Cathedral will be flourished with lights and decorations. Those who visit the Cathedral also visit Bow Barracks for live Christmas celebrations and events, which start on December 23rd and end only by New Year’s Eve.
The top churches to visit in Kolkata are St. Philomena’s Cathedral, St. Paul’s Cathedral, St. Andrews church, and others.
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This is a place for a traditional celebration, especially in the suburban area of Bandra, which has a higher Catholic population. The churches in this area are famous for feasts and midnight masses. The best of all is the Saint Thomas Cathedral. The Hill Road of Bandra will be covered with Christmas decorations and the shops will be filled with festive goodies. The fishermen communities are the oldest Christian groups in this region. If you are looking for an Indian-styled Christmas, visit Matharpacady Village, which has been celebrating Christmas for the past 200 years. The village church will be decorated and you can find a large feast, which is open to all.
The top churches to visit in Mumbai are St. Thomas Cathedral, Basilica of Our Lady of Mount, Afghan Church, and others.
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This is one of the few non-coastal areas, where you can enjoy Christmas at the top-notch level in India. The Connaught Place is the best place for Christmas events and shopping. Visit Sacred Heart Cathedral to enjoy special programs and celebrations.
The top churches to visit here are Sacred Heart Cathedral, St. Alphonsa’s Church, and St. James Church.
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The churches of Kerala will be gleaming with lights and decorations. You can find large trees outside many churches, which are open for the public to decorate. The best part of all is the Cochin Carnival, which is celebrated along with Christmas with cultural events, processions, rituals, and much more. The carnival ends on New Year’s Eve with the burning of an effigy of Santa Claus. On New Year’s Day, there will be a cultural procession.
The top churches to cover during Christmas are St. Francis Church, Basilica of Our Lady of Dolores Church, and Edathua Church.
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This is a north-east Indian destination famous for cultural beauty. A major part of the population in this city is Christians and obviously, Christmas is one of the top festivals of the land. The churches and local homes will be decorated with beautiful lights, making the nights more merrier. Mid-night masses, feasts and cultural functions are conducted in the churches. The market regions will be filled with goodies. You can find carols on the streets bringing the Christmas cheer.
The top churches to cover are Mary Help of Christians Cathedral and others.
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Pondicherry was under the control of France in the past and today, the culture and lifestyle of the region are very much linked with France. Thus, it is very easy to enjoy a traditional French-infused Indian-styled celebration here with religious gatherings, masses, feasts, cultural programs, and others. Many bonfire celebrations and parties are conducted on the beach during Christmas. The hotels will be conducting their private parties and you can find Santa Clauses around the city, trying to bring the smile to people.
The top church to enjoy Christmas in Pondicherry is Domus Dei Cathedral.
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Starting from gingerbread man to turkey dinner, this place is famous for the traditional western-styled Christmas. Do you miss Christmas at home? It is time to head towards Bangalore Karnataka. The central part of Bangalore is famous for numerous churches and thus, the celebration will be at its peak during this time. Do you know that churches in this region have English culture? Visit MG Road to get the Christmas feel with joyous carols, festival shopping, and bakeries filled with exclusive Christmas goodies.
The top churches to cover are St. Patrick’s Church, St. Francis Xavier’s Cathedral, All Saints Church, and Infant Jesus Church.
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Sikkim is very different than the other destinations expressed in this list. This is the place for anyone wanting to enjoy a calm Christmas without any hassle or crowd. Sikkim has a very small Christian population and this is the place to enjoy a white Christmas with snow, carols, and campfires. A few churches around the region conduct carols throughout the city. You can always hear jingle bells in the air. The markets will be filled with gifts, and the smell of roast meat and cake. The pubs are the best place to enjoy Christmas here. Celebrations will go beyond midnight and you can find many live bands in action during Christmas Eve.
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The top churches to cover are the Baptist Church of Sikkim, Hope City Church, and St. Thomas Church.
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Apart from being one of the top snow destinations in India, Manali is also getting more tourists during Christmas for those who want to enjoy a snow-filled Christmas. Every hotel and resort in the region arranges Christmas decorations, Santa Claus, snowmen, carols, and other elements to give a holistic Christmas experience. You cannot find a lot of churches around here for enjoying Christmas feast but, the hotels will provide a complete traditional Christmas cuisine including rum cake, wine, a five-course dinner, and so on. Christmas Eve is usually celebrated with bonfires, snowball fighting, carols, group dinners, and so on.
The top churches to cover are Arcot Lutheran Church, Gilgal Prayer House Church, and others.
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Christmas is celebrated around the world but, not all places would be gleaming with beauty, joy, and cheer during the celebration. Are you planning a Christmas vacation?
Here are the top places to visit.
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Compared to other countries, Christmas is infused with a lot of traditional Indian cultures which are derived from other religions. Just like the other parts of the world, midnight masses are the iconic religious element of Christmas. It is usually followed by a massive feast. Most of the feasts are conducted like a pot luck.
These feasts are usually grand with tens of dishes and are usually open for all. Usually, Churches are decorated with Poinsettia and other local flowers. Candles are lit all around the church. In some southern states, small clay lamps are lit instead of candles. Every Christian household will have at least a lit star out in their balcony. Some prefer to have Christmas trees. Some states use mango leaf garlands to decorate the house, which is a traditional Hindu style adapted for Christian celebrations.
Carols are common in Catholic-rich regions. You can find Christmas cake all around the market. However, most of those are not home-made plum cakes. You can find coconut-based dishes, a lot. This is because most of the coastal regions have a high number of Christians and coconut is very common in these beach regions. To appreciate the birth of Lord Jesus, many houses create nativity scenes with figurines. Santa Claus is a common factor around the world. Every church has a Santa Claus who comes around giving small gifts to kids. The concept of asking for presents to Santa Claus by sitting on his lap is not common in India.
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On Christmas morning, the PJ photographs and gifts under the tree are not common. However, there will be a grand feast in every home. They make it a point to invite friends and families of all religions and creed to home for a grand dinner. Some homes invite pastors for a group prayer. By evening, people choose to go for a small picnic or even visit beaches to spot the sunset. Some prefer to just relax after a heavy meal.
In general, Christmas fruit cake, wine, and traditional festive food make up the Christmas meal in India. Usually, the main dish during Christmas is biriyani or pulao. Some Catholic families go with turkey biriyani. Spicy curries of pork or other meat are served along with the main dish. Rose flavored desserts are common like rose cookies, rose cakes or rose-milk.
Top traditional Christmas dishes of India are:
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The top places to visit for a grand Christmas in India are:
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If you are looking to have a holistic Christmas vacation, take up the signature luxury train itinerary of Palace on Wheels during Christmas. In 2025, you get to start the Christmas with the luxury train itinerary on Dec 4th or, you can end the itinerary with Christmas enjoying the Christmas Eve on Palace on Wheels by taking the itinerary that starts on Dec 18th. For more departure dates, visit Palace on Wheels Departure and start booking.
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