“Bada Din,” meaning “Big Day,” is a term used to refer to Christmas in India.
According to Little Passports, Greaves India Tours and Wendy Wu Tours, Christmas, while being a Christian holiday, is celebrated by both Christians in India as a religious holiday as well as by Indians of other faiths as a secular festivity. However, religious observances are a minority, as most of India’s population is Hindu, and Christmas is generally a Christian holiday when celebrated religiously.
In some parts of southern India, such as Kerala, where there is a larger Christian population, many communities participate in Midnight Mass celebrations. These festive services take place in brightly glowing churches adorned with candles and flowers. Some people decorate rooftops with flowers and fairy lights while mango trees are donned in festive ornaments. Some Christian families in southern India place small clay oil-burning lamps, called diyas, in their homes, which symbolizes the Christian belief in the presence of Jesus as the “Light of the World.”
According to the Times of India, the city of Kochi, in the southern Indian state of Kerala, celebrates Christmas every year with a large festival called the Cochin Carnival. The festival dates to the Portuguese New Year’s celebration in colonial times, and today features a vibrant mix of Kerala’s culture. The celebration begins with a grand parade through Fort Kochi, including decorated elephants, ornate floats and traditional art. The festival includes a grand firework display that illuminates the night sky over Fort Kochi. The merriment continues daily for a whole week, stretching from Dec. 25 until the New Year on Jan. 1.
Food is also an important part of Bada Din. Some communities feature stalls selling traditional Indian dishes like biryani and curry. Some people also make kheer, a pudding-like dessert, often made with rice and sometimes including nuts and raisins.
According to the Greaves article, Santa Claus is known by different names in India, including Christmas Baba, Christmas Taathaa or Natal Bua. Overall, India celebrates Christmas in a variety of ways that are both traditionally festive and uniquely Indian.
