Although the majority of India’s population are Hindu’s, there are a large number of Christians thriving in India, adopting many of the same traditions and participating in much of the same festivals as others around the world. Since the climate is a lot different from the ‘typical’ snowfall, many of the rituals have been modified to suit weather conditions. The celebrations of Christmas not only differ in India, but it also depends on where about in India you are from, which determines how you celebrate.
In the North East, people tend to decorate mango and banana tree’s rather than the typical ‘fir’ tree. Many also replace their Christmas lights, pine sprigs and holly wreaths with mango leaves which hang from the windows and ledges. In the South West, candles are replaced with ‘diyas’ (oil-lamps) made of clay. The floor is decorated with angels and stars made from turmeric powder, paprika and flour of all different colours. The food often eaten are traditional Indian dishes. A popular dish is the tandoori chicken/paneer, biryani as the main course, and rice pudding as desert. Rather than dressing up in an elf costume and singing round the fire, it is more common to dress in festive, traditional clothing, and listen to the sitar, drums or cymbals being played.
Sheena Thacker
Leave a comment