Christmas in India: Best Places to Visit During Christmas in India

Christmas is around the corner; the time of the year when celebration can be felt through Christmas jingles and chimes, rum cakes, presents, Santa Claus stories and a whole lot of love. Even though Christmas celebrations in India aren’t exactly like they are in the West, it is, however, magnificent in its uniqueness. The Christmas flare in India is inspired by the nation’s ‘desi’ culture and is nothing short of awe-inspiring. From the Northeast to Bombay and Kerala to Assam, the entire nation rejoices togetherness in the festive spirit of celebrating Christmas in a way that’s unique to every particular state. So, if you wish to celebrate the festival of Christmas in India and rejoice the uniqueness of its celebrations, here are the 9 best places in India to visit during Christmas: - 

1. Goa

A place most often referred to as a paradise for party lovers, Goa becomes so much more during Christmas; the state shines in its glory during the festivities! Since it houses a substantial number of Christians, the celebrations are a lot grander in the state. Adorned with poinsettia flowers and vibrant lighting, Goa ranks high among the best places to celebrate Christmas in India.

You will find the masses singing Christmas carols and celebrating until early morning. Even the parties at Anjuna, Mapusa and Candolim continue through the night ensuring that the tourists and locals get to celebrate Christmas with the perfect mix of fun and tradition. 

2. Daman and Diu

With the rich colonial influence that Daman & Diu has, the celebration of Christmas in this union territory is highly influenced by the Portuguese. There is a unique charm to Daman & Diu during Christmas making it one of the more special Christmas celebrations in India. The miscellany of cultural shows, the enigmatic and exhilarating Corrindinho Portuguese dance forms, the vibrant lamps that brighten the night sky, and on top of that, the church service make Daman & Diu by far one of the most exciting places to visit during Christmas in India.

3. Kerala

The celebration of Christmas in Kerala is unlike how it is celebrated in most parts of India. Why? Well, think of spending your time celebrating Christmas among umpteen coconut trees, backwaters and nature that only ends at infinity; wouldn’t that be gratifying?! What’s more, the many present churches in Kerala are all decorated and embellished with stars, lights, and several other kinds of decorations. It is during this time that many of the esteemed hotels give out heavy discounts to welcome tourists from all over to participate in their Christmas celebrations. All of this makes Kerala one of the must-visit places to visit in December in India. However, Kerala during the Christmas time will also surprise you with the zealous festivities of the Cochin Carnival; and boy, is the carnival fun!

4. Mumbai

A city so eclectic that it wholeheartedly embraces the diversity of cultures in India, Mumbai is, undoubtedly, a fun place to celebrate Christmas in India. Places like the Hill Road, Church Gate and Bandra are some of the most popular places for Christmas celebration in Mumbai as well as India. Mumbai’s vivacity and the great enthusiasm in people to celebrate Christmas results in a celebration so grand that it can be argued as one of the best Christmas celebrations in India. Almost all the churches in and around the city organise what’s called a midnight mass. On top of that, you can also find numerous raging parties in most night clubs in Mumbai. It can be hard for a place to cater to the palette of multiple people with various tastes; Mumbai, however, does that effortlessly!

5. Dadra & Nagar Haveli

If you have been planning to visit Dadra & Nagar Haveli, there would be no better time for you to do that than during Christmas. Adorned by the Christmas festivities, the Union Territory sports a folk and primitive vibe. The celebration may seem peculiar but is sure to pique your interests; you may even be so amused that your old ways of celebrating Christmas wouldn't seem as much fun. Well, a place like Dadra & Nagar Haveli does make the celebration of Christmas extremely special in India!

Fizzing with zeal, warmth, and enthusiasm, Dadra & Nagar Haveli is one such place in India where the Christmas festival is celebrated in a peculiar yet amusing way.

6. Bangalore

Are you a big-time foodie and wish to participate in one of the best Christmas celebrations in India? If yes, Bangalore will surely surprise you with all that it has to offer! Be it satiating your appetite or being wonderstruck by some of the highly anticipated Christmas celebrations that happen each year, Bangalore is a strikingly lively place but at the same time, it is calm like no other megalopolis in the country.

With gobsmacking Christmas cuisines that can be found throughout the city, and the enigmatic churches sporting the amalgam of British and French art, you shouldn’t think twice before booking Christmas tour packages for your holiday in Bangalore.

7.Delhi

The vivacious state of Delhi is just as zealous as it is ever-ready for parties; Christmas consequently becomes another reason for the residents of Delhi to host a party (or keep partying) in December. Christmas in India has been seen as a festival that isn’t celebrated as much as it is the West, Delhi, however, paints a different picture. You will find the Christian localities shimmering throughout with lights during the Christmas season as the entire state rejoices in the Christmas carols and hums to festive tunes.

While it is true that Delhi is not a Christian majority state, the celebrations, however, fill the entire state with grandeur! Even if you wish to explore the traditional Christmas celebration in India, Delhi’s Capital City Minstrel and the Sacred Heart Cathedral Choir concert will help you experience just that.

8. Kolkata

The city of Joy, Kolkata has joyfully embraced Christmas so much so that Christmas has now become an integral part of the city’s rejoiced festivals. In no other place in India, the festival of Christmas feels as native as it does in Kolkata. Park Street is enlivened by the stars, lights, decorations and all kinds of embellishments that when put together easily bring out the Christmas mood. All of the streets are lined with restaurants, pubs and bars that are kept running all night long!

If you are searching for the best Christmas sweets and delights, then look no further than Flury’s; you’d be spoiled for choices! You should even go to the St Paul’s Cathedral and their organised midnight mass where the sweet sound of carols reverberates from quite a distance. Furthermore, the Anglo-Indian communities that live down at the barracks celebrate traditionally. This might be the only celebration of Christmas in India that is most iconic to that of the West’s. Owing to all of this, Kolkata is undoubtedly one of the best places to celebrate Christmas in India.

9. Pondicherry

With the awe-inspiring French architecture and tradition amalgamating with the beauty of Christmas vibes, Pondicherry becomes a lot more paradisiacal than it always is. Clean, tranquil and scenic beaches, picturesque and aesthetically built churches, impeccable glance of the French culture, and the serene Auroville – all of this makes Pondicherry one of the best places to visit in India during Christmas. It will leave you in wonderment of the beauty and festivity!

Christmas in India means so much more than you may think it does. Just book one of the festival tour packages for any of the places mentioned above and you will see just how amazing Christmas celebrations can be in India.

Merry Christmas!