Christmas in India

Ask Rudyard Kipling, probably swatting flies in dusty Lahore as he wrote verse by that very name, Christmas in India. “Dim dawn behind the tamerisks – the sky is saffron-yellow,” it began, invoking at once a world of difference from the skies and tree tops of England and Englishness. The poem first appeared in the Pioneer in 1886, in a column called “Latter-Day Carols”. Kipling, who then worked as an assistant editor for the Civil and Military Gazette in Lahore, had been commissioned to write it by the editors of the Pioneer in Allahabad. It was so “unchristmassy”, writes the journalist E Kay Robinson, that he promptly wrote a parody of the poem, entitled The Dyspeptic in India. It took an equally “dolorous view” of Yuletide in London, suggesting that India, “with its blue skies and bright sunshine” is the only place where Christmas may be enjoyed.

The first few lines from each Kipling verse follow here and are written in yellow. The other lines, which you may find “unchristmassy” and which may cause arguments, you can read online.

India in Balmain stars in many sizes

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.

Indian Voices in Australia on Christmas in India

Amongst the Christian community, it’s much more focussed on celebrating the birth of Jesus than on the commercial aspects of gift-giving etc. Roanna Gonsalves, Author, The Permanent Resident 

Grey Buildings Red Stars….and this one is from my adopted home of 13 years! I started in Bandra (Chimbai village) in various PG digs first with the D'Limas then the Travao's and finally to Dadar and Thane. But arriving in Mumbai on new years eve in Bombay in 1990, I was so struck by the glowing red stars that adorned so many balconies and windows along the Central line leading into VT. They were symbols that inspired hope and promise for a young migrating architect from small-town India to the big metropolis. Yashdeep 

Oh yes, midnight Mass, making sweets weeks before and distributing to neighbours, putting up the star, decorating the house, singing Christmas carols, visiting friends and family. Roanna

Re Mumbai….thanks for highlighting Christmas in my hometown! Such great memories of driving through park street with the family! We even attended midnight mass at St Paul’s Cathedral that was teeming with people, intoxicated and sober, but all in fine spirit, hugging and kissing. I think that might have been the main attraction for us young men/boys Yashdeep

Christmas in India has been a very secular affair for me. My Hindu, Muslim, Buddhist & atheist friends would come together over delicious food. Usually, the Christian and catholic friends would go over to their family’s place.

I recently married a Hindu and his family has decided to properly celebrate Christmas too. Apphia Kumar

We have a lot of Malayalee Christians in our building complex in Delhi and come December, all the kids in the complex, irrespective of what religion is practised at home, start pestering them as to, when will Santa come? "Santa" usually comes with their local church carolers and distributes sweets. It's a big event for the whole neighbourhood. Rashmi

Once my sis and I were invited to a christmas function in our predominantly Hindu neighbourhood. We were young and very excited- cakes, carols, a christmas tree, lights we imagined- everything we had ever seen in a Hollywood movie! When we entered , a rangoli ( which is a mandala) greeted us and we were offered traditional south Indian sweets n savories by a lady in a Kanjivaram( a type of silk)  sari! A little manger was created inside a traditional wooden mandap!!( A mandap is a traditional Indian canopy) ... So disappointing! Looking back after all these years I admire how people could integrate religion with the community they lived in and blend them so harmoniously. Anu

During Christmas - I miss my hometown Shillong with all my heart - Christmas in Shillong is magical. Ana

Shillong

A couple of years ago we handed out gold coins to the staff at a hotel in Ranakpur. They were totally surprised. Sonal

Marzipan 'mithai' that Catholic families in Mumbai make. Just delightful. You don't get it in the shops. Got to know someone who makes it and gives you a dabbaful.( A Dabba is a large tin)  Sapna

Xmas in Bandra in Mumbai is so lovely. I have such beautiful memories of Christmases in Mumbai. Nicholas

Lets Celebrate

Full day behind the tamarisks -- the sky is blue and staring --

  As the cattle crawl afield beneath the yoke,

And they bear One o'er the field-path, who is past all hope or caring,

  To the ghat below the curling wreaths of smoke.

    Call on Rama, going slowly, as ye bear a brother lowly --

      Call on Rama -- he may hear, perhaps, your voice!

    With our hymn-books and our psalters we appeal to other altars,

      And to-day we bid "good Christian men rejoice!"

In South India, one widespread Christmas tradition is the burning of earthen lamps on roofs. This practice symbolizes that Jesus is the light of the world. In north-west India, the Christians narrate the Christmas story and sing melodious carols in their own dialects. 

You will come across some areas in south-west India where devotees go on a fast from the 1st December until the midnight mass service on 24th December

Shimla

Compared to other religious festivals, Christmas is quite a small festival in India, due to the number of people who are Christians (about 2.3%) compared to people who belong to other religions. Having said this, the population of India is over 1 Billion, so there are over 25 million Christians in India!

Kolkata

One of the largest Indian Christian Communities in a city is in Mumbai. A lot of the Christians in Mumbai (previously known as Bombay) are Roman Catholics. In India's smallest state, Goa which is in the west of India, about 26% of people are Christians. Many of the Christians in Mumbai came from or have roots in Goa. The states of Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland and Mizoram (all on the very east of India) have high populations of Christians as well.

Midnight mass is a very important service for Christians in India, especially Catholics. Churches in India are decorated with Poinsettia flowers and candles for the Christmas Eve Midnight Mass service.

Many different languages are spoken in India. In Hindi Happy/Merry Christmas is 'Śubh krisamas' (शुभ क्रिसमस); Urdu it's 'krismas mubarak' (کرسمس); in Sanskrit it's 'Krismasasya shubhkaamnaa'; in Gujarati it's 'Anandi Natal' or 'Khushi Natal' (આનંદી નાતાલ); in Bengali 'shubho bôṛodin' (শুভ বড়দিন); in Tamil it's 'kiṟistumas vāḻttukkaḷ' (கிறிஸ்துமஸ் வாழ்த்துக்கள்); in Konkani it's 'Khushal Borit Natala'; in Kannada it's 'kris mas habbada shubhaashayagalu' (ಕ್ರಿಸ್ ಮಸ್ ಹಬ್ಬದ ಶುಭಾಷಯಗಳು); in Mizo it's 'Krismas Chibai'; in Marathi it's 'Śubh Nātāḷ' (शुभ नाताळ); in Punjabi it's 'karisama te nawāṃ sāla khušayāṃwālā hewe' (ਕਰਿਸਮ ਤੇ ਨਵਾੰ ਸਾਲ ਖੁਸ਼ਿਯਾੰਵਾਲਾ ਹੋਵੇ); in Malayalam it's 'Christmas inte mangalaashamsakal'; in Telugu it's 'Christmas Subhakankshalu' and in Sindhi it's 'Christmas jun wadhayun'.

Instead of having traditional Christmas Trees, a banana or mango tree is decorated (or whatever tree people can find to decorate!). Sometimes people use mango leaves to decorate their homes.

Christians in Goa love to celebrate Christmas! Goa has lots of 'western' customs as part of their Christmas as Goa has historical connections with Portugal. Most Christians in Goa are Catholics. People like to go carol singing around their neighbors for about a week before Christmas. Christmas Trees are also very popular.. Most Christian families also have a nativity scene with clay figures in it.

On Christmas Eve, Christians in Goa hang out giant paper lanterns, in the shape of stars, between the houses so that the stars float above you as you walk down the road. The main Christmas meal is also eaten on Christmas Eve and is also 'western' with roast turkey or chicken being popular. Curries also appear. After/before the meal, Christians head to Church for a Midnight mass service. After the service, the church bells ring to announce that Christmas Day has arrived. Many Christians in Goa also celebrate Epiphany and remember the Wise Men visiting Jesus.

Christians in Mumbai use many Christmas traditions from Goa including the star lanterns and manger scenes (people like to make sure they have the best nativity scene!).

In north-west India, the tribal Christians of the Bhil folk, go out night after night for a week at Christmas to sing their own carols the whole night through. They go to surrounding villages singing to people and telling the Christmas story.

In South West India, in the state of Kerala Were, 22% of the state's 33 Million population are Christians and Christmas is an important festival. Every house will be decorated with a Christmas star. During the start of the Christmas season, almost all the stationary shops will be filled with new and a variety Christmas stars. People make cribs in their homes and Churches.

In India, Father Christmas or Santa Claus delivers presents to children from a horse and cart. He's known as 'Christmas Baba' in Hindi, 'Baba Christmas' in Urdu (both of those mean Father Christmas); 'Christmas Thaathaa' in Tamil and 'Christmas Thatha' in Telugu (both of those mean Christmas old man); and 'Natal Bua' (Christmas Elder Man) in Marathi. In Kerala state, he's known as 'Christmas Papa'.

India in Balmain stars in many sizes

The Food

High noon behind the tamarisks -- the sun is hot above us --

  As at Home the Christmas Day is breaking wan.

They will drink our healths at dinner -- those who tell us how they love us,

Christmas cooking also starts early. Christmas sweets — mainly originating from Goa and adapted in the rest of the country — are traditionally called “kuswar,” and they range from deeply delicious dense Christmas fruitcakes to rose cookies and “kidiyo” (literally translating as worms, but these are deep-fried curly dough balls, dusted in icing sugar). Sweet dumplings called “newrio,” stuffed with palm sugar, sweet grated coconut, and sesame seeds are popular.. Savoury banana chips, crisp chaklis (a round, deep-fried savoury made with lentils), and cardamom and cashew macaroons round up a versatile collection of Christmas goodies as is a 'traditional' rich fruit Christmas Cake! 

Making these sweets is a family affair, as all the women in extended families get together and make them over a weekend or two. It is an exciting time to be a child, as scraps are always plentiful, and staying  up late with  cousins and friends while mothers gossip around the kitchen. Other sweets are often part of 'consuada' when people make sweets before Christmas and give them to their friends and neighbours

Deep cultural influences go into these sweets. Fruitcakes, for example, are heavily influenced by British plum puddings, and indeed, are also occasionally called plum cakes in India. Rose cookies are a result of the Dutch occupation, and a lot of the other sweets are the result of Portuguese and French cuisines. Christmas is, therefore, a true melting pot of all the cultures that were part of India during colonial times.

Grey dusk behind the tamarisks -- the parrots fly together --

  As the sun is sinking slowly over Home;

And his last ray seems to mock us shackled in a lifelong tether.

  That drags us back howe'er so far we roam.

Black night behind the tamarisks -- the owls begin their chorus --

  As the conches from the temple scream and bray.

With the fruitless years behind us and the hopeless years before us,

  Let us honor, O my brother, Christmas Day!

Khamoshiyan Raat Ki translated to "Silent Night", in the video below. This is an original hymn and is a "must watch".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8c8O1sMewNM

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Blog by award winning Poet Bhupen Thakker https://www.amazon.com/Bhupen-Thakker/e/B088LPQDQ2/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_book_1