Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve is the day before Christmas Day and falls on December 24 in the Gregorian calendar.
Many Christians in India celebrate Jesus Christ's birth on on Christmas Day, which is annually held on December 25. The celebrations are most noticeable in states where there are many Christians. Christmas Day is a gazetted holiday in India.
Christmas is a public holiday. It is a day off for the general population, and schools and most businesses are closed.
In 2022, it falls on a Sunday, and some businesses may choose to follow Sunday opening hours.
Many Christians mark Christmas Day by attending special church services, spending time with family members, wearing new clothes and eating a festive meal. Some families exchange gifts or give small presents or sweets to children. They may display small electric lamps or small clay oil-burning lamps and decorate their homes with banana or mango leaves. Some also put up a nativity scene with clay figures or a Christmas tree. Christmas trees in India are usually imitation pine trees or branches of native trees or bushes.
Some stores and malls may put up Christmas decorations and have actors playing Santa. Christmas celebrations in tourist areas and hotels may be created to emulate how Christmas Day is celebrated in the countries where tourists and travelers are from.
National, state and local government offices, post offices and banks are closed on Christmas Day. Christian stores, businesses and other organizations may be closed or have reduced opening hours. Those wishing to use public transport on the day may need to contact the local transport authorities to check on timetables.
Many Christians remember Jesus Christ's birth when they celebrate Christmas Day, which is on December 25 in the Gregorian calendar. His actual birthday remains unconfirmed. Scholars think that Saint Thomas the Apostle introduced Christianity to the area that is now India around 52 CE. There are now around 24 million Christians in India. The states with the largest percentages of Christians are:
Christmas Day is widely celebrated in these states, but may be barely marked in others.
Symbols of Christmas in India include:
These are just some examples how Christmas is symbolized in India.
Note: During a gazetted holiday, government offices and most businesses are closed so people have a day off work.
Year | Weekday | Date | Name | Holiday Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
2017 | Mon | Dec 25 | Christmas | Gazetted Holiday |
2018 | Tue | Dec 25 | Christmas | Gazetted Holiday |
2019 | Wed | Dec 25 | Christmas | Gazetted Holiday |
2020 | Fri | Dec 25 | Christmas | Gazetted Holiday |
2021 | Sat | Dec 25 | Christmas | Gazetted Holiday |
2022 | Sun | Dec 25 | Christmas | Gazetted Holiday |
2023 | Mon | Dec 25 | Christmas | Gazetted Holiday |
2024 | Wed | Dec 25 | Christmas | Gazetted Holiday |
2025 | Thu | Dec 25 | Christmas | Gazetted Holiday |
2026 | Fri | Dec 25 | Christmas | Gazetted Holiday |
2027 | Sat | Dec 25 | Christmas | Gazetted Holiday |
While we diligently research and update our holiday dates, some of the information in the table above may be preliminary. If you find an error, please let us know.
Christmas Eve is the day before Christmas Day and falls on December 24 in the Gregorian calendar.
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