Do Hindus Celebrate Christmas?

As you already know, Christmas is one of the most important celebrations in the Christian religion, but does that mean that this celebration is only for Christians? Well, it depends on how you look at it. Christmas is celebrated in India since it is a country that, apart from having Hindus, Buddhists, and Muslims, there is also a large percentage of people who follow Christianity, and one of the most recognized people is Mother Teresa of Calcutta. Therefore, in India you will find many Churches, however, the most prevalent are the Evangelical Christians.

Now, Christians in India clearly celebrate Christmas but in a very different way than in other countries. In my case, being from Argentina, Christmas is a very beautiful celebration because we have the habit of gathering the whole family in a house, we decorate the garden to place a long table and also decorate it, we put gifts on the Christmas tree, we play music, lights, we prepare the fireworks and we cook a special dinner since in Argentina we have dinner on the 24th at night to receive Christmas at midnight.

When 00:00 arrives we raise our glasses to make a toast and ask for blessings from the Lord Jesus and we hug each other wishing us all the best! It is beautiful and very emotional because the table is full of the absences of those loved ones who are in our hearts even though they are no longer physically there. And we cry? Yes!

After that, we eat dessert, which is usually sweet bread with raisins or nuts, sweet bread with chocolate, chocolate and vanilla pudding, fruit salad, peanuts with caramel called "garrapiñadas", chocolate sprinkles, etc. and to make the toast, we do it with drinks that contain alcohol. If you wonder if everything ends up out of control, the answer is no, at least, something like this never happened at my family Christmas parties, everyone drinks in moderation and responsibly, although I don't know how they will be in other Argentine homes. Also, I have to mention that we dance with our brothers, aunts, cousins, and parents.

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And how do the Christians of India celebrate? They directly celebrate December 25th by eating sweet bread with dried fruits (although in taste, they are very different from Argentines) and visiting the Church. In Argentina, special masses are also held, but not all Christians (Catholics) go to church. However, that does not mean that we do not know the meaning of Christmas, that is very present in us and that is why we celebrate it as a family.

I took this photo in St. Paul's Cathedral, Kolkata, West Bengal, India.

As for the Christmas tree, some Indian Christians put it up and others don't, although I have seen the tree in some Churches with the manger. And if you wonder what else the Christians in India do, they also visit their relatives for lunch but everything is much more modest and simple, I would say: they do not make the toast (and of course, they do not drink alcohol), they do not decorate and prepare the table, they don't shoot fireworks, etc. However, the main streets are beautifully lit and decorated above all with Santa Claus.

Now that I have explained to you the differences between the celebration of Christmas between Indian (Evangelical) Christians and Argentine (Catholic) Christians in a general way, it is time to find out if Hindus also celebrate Christmas. The answer would be Yes but also in a very different way, that is, they know what Christmas means, and even if they are not Christians, many Hindus also have holidays on December 25, a clear example is my husband, he is Hindu and every year he has a holiday at his job at Christmas. But as I mentioned before, Hindus spend the day with friends or some relatives taking advantage of the holiday in case Christmas falls on a weekday. They also eat seasonal sweets and buy typical Christmas sweet bread. Regarding activities, they usually visit some Churches to respectfully "greet" the Lord Jesus Christ for his birth.

Hindus are very respectful of all religions and accept that Jesus Christ is a God for Christians as well as their Bible, that's why on my first Christmas in India, my husband bought the Christmas tree with a manger, and we decorated everything with colored lights. However, since I live in India, my Christmas celebrations are very different for obvious reasons. Therefore, the first 3 years were very, very hard (although it still is) being away from my family for Christmas and since then, I have not celebrated it in the same way.

Even so, going for a walk through the city on December 25 is very nice because you see many people enjoying themselves as a family, in addition, there are many activities such as amusement parks, you can see the decorated stores, the children with the Santa Claus hat, and restaurants full of people, and that makes me feel a little more animated.

Does Hinduism Believe in Christmas? Is Christmas Celebrated in Hinduism?

Christmas, this annual religious celebration may be for Christians, but the lively joy is for everyone in India. Annie Besant, the famous British writer, once said: that India is a country where all the great religions find a home, although Christmas and Hinduism are not interconnected, they have one thing in common: they bring joy to all.

It should be noted that Hindu children love the story of Santa Claus who brings gifts leaving aside the religious meaning of Christmas, that is, the Birth of Jesus, which has nothing to do with Santa Claus, and I think that It is something that I must highlight because when I was little, the only thing on my mind was to open the gifts that "Santa Claus" brought me and nothing else. At 7, 8, or 9 years old, you are not aware of what Christmas is all about, are you? You only know that you will receive gifts and eat lots of sweets. And that is a valid rule for all children of any religion at Christmas.

Furthermore, the Hindu religion does not ask to worship any particular God/deity and they believe in equality and union. However, Hindus observe this unique revelry to share colorful joy, and tempting food and to welcome the fascinating winter season.

Christmas is a time of harmony, happiness, and friendship for all.

I would like to know: What is your vision of Christmas as a Hindu? Share your Christmas experiences and celebrations here in the comments section, I would love to read your thoughts!

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