India celebrates Xmas with traditional gaiety

AMN / TIA correspondents 

NEW DELHI: Christians across the country celebrated Christmas with full enthusiasm and traditional gaiety. People of other communities too participated in the festivity of Xmas and greeted each other. Churches across

India were beautifully decorated for midnight mass last night.In spite of the terror threats, people in Mumbai celebrated Christmas with full enthusiasm and vigour. In Goa, the churches and chapels resonated with the sound of bells at the midnight masses. There were grand displays of fireworks also to mark the joyous occasion of arrival of Lord Jesus.  

According to AIR, Christmas songs composed by Mizo composers and carols in English were sung by guitar strumming carol parties going from house to house to a warm welcome in Mizoram. In the capital, Aizawl, street corners and road intersections have colourful decorations with cribs depicting the birth of Christ, while snowmen, life-size Santa Claus dolls, reindeer and even sleighs were on sale.  Signing of carole, community prayer, mass and rituals in all the churches marks the day in Nagaland. 

People in Kandhamal district of Orissa celebrated Christmas with joy and enthusiasm amid elaborate security arrangements, shedding fears of riots that had rocked the communally sensitive district in 2007 and 2008. 

mid-night services in tastefully illuminated churches across the Meghalaya heralded the advent of Jesus Christ across the State along with the rest of the world. 

Capital New Delhi too witness a wonderful Christmas despite chilly weather. Churches were decorated elegantly for the occasion.

However Christmas in Kerala was low key due to death of former chief minister Karunakaran. 

The heart of the celebration is in Bethlehem, where Jesus Christ was born over 2000 years ago. A traditional procession was taken out there with a concert in Manger Square followed by a midnight mass. According to Palestinian Authorities, at least 90,000 people flooded the city for the Christmas celebrations.