India is well known for its festivals all through the year, and compared to some of their festivals, Christmas is quite small as there are only about 2.3% of Christians in India. Places like Mumbai hold one of the largest groups of Christians.

Midnight Mass is an important part of Christmas and the whole family will walk to the mass, which is followed by a large feast of all sorts of delicacies, most of which are curries. They also give and receive presents. The Churches are decorated with Poinsettia flowers and candles for the Midnight Mass Service. After the service, a bell is rung to announce Christmas Day has arrived.

There are a lot of different languages spoken in India and Happy/Merry Christmas in Hindu is 'Śubh christmas. There are far too many others to put on here.

Instead of traditional Christmas Trees, a banana or mango leaf is decorated (or whatever tree is available. and also Mango leaves can be used to decorate their homes. In Southern India, Christians often put small oil burning clay lamps on the flat roof of their homes to show that Jesus is the light of the world.

In Goa, the Christians have a lot of "western" customs and many go carol singing a week before. On Christmas Eve in Goa, they hang out paper lanterns in the shape of stars between houses so as you walk the stars float above you.

Local sweets are eaten like Neureos (small pastries stuffed with dry fruit and coconut and fried), then there is Dodol (like toffee that has coconut and cashew in it) People make sweets as presents for their friends at Christmas time.

In North-West India, the tribal Christians go out night after night and sing all night entertaining people with the Christmas story and their own Carols.

In South West in the state of Kerala Were, 22% of the population are Christians . Catholics fast from 1st to 24th December and eat at the Midnight Mass. Every house will be decorated with a Star.

In India Father Christmas brings presents to the kids from a Horse and Cart. He is called Christmas Baba in Hindu and different names in other languages over there.

As India is such a large country and Christianity is not a major religion of India, several types of food are eaten at Christmas, including with some a Roast turkey dinner with all the trimmings.

Some of the traditional foods are :
Allahabadi cake, Mathri, a flaky biscuit,Gulab Jamun, a sweet prepared with khoa, Jalebi,Kheer, boiled rice cooked in milk with sugar and saffron and garnished with almonds and pistachios. Chhena Poda, a dessert made with cottage cheese slightly roasted and roasted in sugar syrup. Garnished with cashews ., Chocolate covered fruit, Dumplings filled with spices with a sweet or savoury filling, Tarts, Neureos, a dumpling made with semolina koha and nutlet, Roast Chicken, Bebinca, a dessert popular in Goa, Biryani, Stew with chicken mutton or fish, Candy canes, Aloo Dum, Vindaloo a spicy Goan curry made with pork during Christmas, Fruits, Mixed Nuts and Cupcakes. The Indian desserts are very very sweet, in fact sickly sweet.

Well, I think walking around the streets of certain places in India at Christmas would be fantastic and would certainly like to taste the food, apart from their desserts - far too sweet for me.

I hope you have enjoyed your trip around Indian and I would wish you a Natal Mubarak from India

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