Christmas in India for kids

What is Christmas?

Christmas, on 25 December, is the day Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus. In 2026 it falls on a Friday. Christians live across India, so Christmas here has many local flavours. It is a public holiday in much of India, and friends from other faiths often join in with cake, lights and songs.

Christmas in different parts of India

Goa. Many Catholic families attend a midnight mass, which is often followed by a family feast.

Kerala. Churches display nativity scenes (cribs), children go from house to house singing carols, and tables fill with dishes like neyyappam and plum cake. Some homes decorate banana or mango trees instead of pine.

Mumbai. Many homes and streets are lit up, and big shining stars hang outside windows.

The Northeast. In Shillong, Meghalaya, the celebrations last for weeks, with lights, traditional dishes and gospel music.

Kolkata. Park Street is decorated with lights and stars, St Paul’s Cathedral holds a midnight mass, and Anglo-Indian families celebrate in their own traditional style.

Things you might see

A star outside the door, a crib of small figures at home or in church, a decorated tree, carol singing, and a rich plum cake shared with neighbours. Families often clean and whitewash the house before Christmas, as many families do before Diwali too. Not every family does all of these things, and what you see depends on the region and the church.

Try it at home: a paper star lantern

You need two sheets of coloured card, scissors, tape, a piece of thin tissue paper and a battery tea light. Draw a big five-pointed star on one card and cut it out, then trace it onto the second card and cut that out too. On the first star, cut a smaller star-shaped window in the middle. Tape tissue paper behind the window, then tape the two stars together at the edges, leaving a gap at the bottom for the light. An adult should handle the scissors for young children.

Use a battery light, never a flame, near paper. Hang the star in a window with the light inside and talk about what light means to different families at this time of year.

Questions to talk about

• Which festival lights have you seen in your own street?
• What do we share with our neighbours in different seasons?
• How do we say a kind hello to a friend on their festival?

More to explore on Rangooo

See the date in the festival calendar. Draw a star pattern in the Rangoli Studio, play songs in the Music Room, test what you know in the festival quiz, or read moral stories for kids together.

Questions

When is Christmas in 2026?

Christmas is on Friday 25 December 2026. Many Christians in India also attend midnight mass on the night of 24 December.

Who celebrates Christmas in India?

Christians across India celebrate it, especially in Goa, Kerala, Mumbai and the Northeast. Many neighbours and friends of other faiths join in the sweets, lights and carols.

What do children do at Christmas in India?

Children sing carols, help make paper stars and cribs, visit church and share cake and sweets with neighbours. Customs differ between regions and families.

What is a star lantern?

It is a paper star that many families hang outside the house at Christmas, often with a light inside. It recalls the star in the Christmas story.