Christmas

Christmas is celebrated with much joy and fervour in Kerala as it is in rest of the country. Christmas celebrated to honour the glory of the nativity of Jesus on 25th December and is the most significant and spectacular of Christian festivals in Kerala. Christmas is celebrated with much fervour with spectacles like Christmas Star, Christmas tree, the Crib, Christmas cake, Christmas presents and the 'Christmas Father'. Children are allowed to occupy the central stage, in the enchanted company of Christmas Father. There is no house or shop in Kerala without the twinkle of Christmas stars. Stars are hung in front of every house irrespective of which religion they belong to. The Christmas tree is a new feature in Kerala, perhaps less than sixty or seventy years old. Christmas trees are decorated with thistles, bells, small stars, and other decorative items etc Carols and songs developed from earlier nativity plays have become one of the most cheerful spectacles of the festivities. Priests hold mass in churches three times starting with the first at midnight. Just before the midnight mass, an image of the Child is brought by the priest, preceded by rows of Children holding lighted candles that are placed in the crib. The hymn 'Gloria in exelcis Deo' is intoned amidst the explosion of crackers. A sumptuous lunch is served with meat being an integral part of the feast. Cakes are also made in houses and people dressed as Santa Claus make the atmosphere livelier.