In a previous discussion, you might have read where I noted that India is the most populated country in the world. But do Indians celebrate Christmas?
You may ask, Does it even matter whether or not Indians celebrate Christmas? I would say it does, and I will tell you why.
If you read our article on the topic, Do Chinese celebrate Christmas? You will realize that Christmas in China has minuscule recognition compared to how it does in other parts of the world like Europe and America. To think that China is number two on the world’s population, and then Christmas is a worldwide celebration.
One would think that if most people in the world’s second most populated country do not place significant value on the celebration of Christmas, how about the world’s most populated country, India?
I guess that’s why we are here, so let’s get into it. But to begin, we shall consider who the Indians are laconically, what they think of Christians, and then we shall deal with the question, Do Indians celebrate Christmas? Let’s get started, shall we?
Who are Indians?
Indians are the people and citizens of the Republic of India, a country located in South Asia with the largest number of inhabitants in the world since 2023, followed by China.
India, being a culturally diverse country, sits on a peninsula as the world’s seventh largest country by area of land, and its people, the Indians, showcase their uniqueness across the globe through technology and travel, to mention a few.
A unique thing to mention about the Indians is the fact that they are largely religious but not Christian. The main religion of the Indians is Hinduism, and in addition to that, they are identified as Hindustan. That is to say that the religion encompasses their way of life, within and without their state.
In addition to Hinduism are other religions, including Islam, Christianity, Sikhism, Buddhism, Jainism, and others. As it appears, there are relatedly few nonreligious people who are Indians.
Statistically, Hinduism makes up about 80% of Indians, followed by Islam, about 15%, and Christianity takes the third position of around 2% of Indians. And with the majority of people going for two different religions from Christianity, one would wonder what Indians really think about Christians.
What Do Indians Think Of Christians?
Indians, being largely Hindus, are accommodating of other religions, including Christianity, and their view of Christians can be deemed relative.
From the public conversations I’ve seen with Indians who choose to express their thoughts about Christians, I can say they tend to view them as peaceful people but also dismissive and demeaning of the religious practices of the Hindus.
For Christians, Christianity is the only true religion. Anything other than that is pagan and worth condemning due to the exclusive idea of God belonging to the religion. However, they are a lovely group of people that can relate generally with the Hindus.
I had a Hindu friend who reached out to me through our Facebook group and contacted me on WhatsApp. I think of him as a friendly and respectable young man who viewed the Jesus of Christians as God and not just a son or the son of God. He told me that his religion taught him to respect other people’s religions, and that is a good thing for a religious person to do.
Do Indians Celebrate Christmas?
Having heard how welcoming and accepting the Indians can be of other religions, it brings to mind the question, Do Indians celebrate Christmas? Yes, millions of Indians do. But when you compare Christmas in India to other festivals like Diwali, it becomes a small thing.
However, India recognizes Christmas as a public holiday, and people call it Bada Din, which means a big day. So, if you’re a Christian in India, you can still celebrate Christmas and have your Hindu friends join you to make it an exciting and wonderful day.
How do Indians celebrate Christmas?
I remember someone saying they did not like the Santa they saw during Christmas in India. So to finalize this discussion, I thought we should look at some of the ways the Indians celebrate Christmas.
As it is done around the world, Christmas in India is celebrated on December 25 each year. Indians decorate trees and their homes with flowers, cook different dishes, including rice and meat, called biryanis in India, and share the love of the season with friends and families.
There is also the display of Santa Claus, also called either Natal Bua, Christmas Baba, or Christmas Taathaa by the Indians. So people, especially children, can see a Father Christmas!
In addition, Christians in India attend a special midnight mass with family members, and I learned that some devoted people fast from December 1 to the night of December 24 in preparation for the D-Day when Jesus was born. I won’t fail to mention that Christmas carols are sung as well!
