Christmas in India: Bada Din, Star Lanterns and Plum Cake
By the Hindi Haveli team · October 28, 2026
Christmas might not be the first festival you picture when you think of India. But on December 25, churches across the country fill for midnight Mass, star lanterns glow from balconies in Kerala, and bakeries in Kolkata and Goa sell out of plum cake. In Hindi, Christmas even has its own warm nickname: बड़ा दिन (baRaa din), "the big day."
This guide explains how Christmas is celebrated in different parts of India, why it matters to millions of Indians, and the Hindi words that go with it. It is a lovely topic to explore with children, because it shows how many faiths share the same streets, holidays and sweets in India.
Christianity in India: a long story
Christianity has deep roots in India. Christian communities in Kerala, often called Saint Thomas Christians, trace their tradition back to the first centuries of the faith. Later, Portuguese, Dutch, French and British contact brought new churches, especially along the coasts. Today, India is home to tens of millions of Christians. They are a minority in the country as a whole, but they are the majority in the northeastern states of Nagaland, Mizoram and Meghalaya.
Christmas is a national public holiday in India, so schools and offices close on December 25 and many people of other faiths join in the fun as well.
Why "the big day"?
बड़ा (baRaa) means big, and दिन (din) means day. One common explanation for the name is simple: Christmas comes just after the shortest days of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, when daylight begins to grow again. Others say it is simply the biggest celebration of the year for Christians. Either way, if you hear an older relative say बड़े दिन की छुट्टी (baRe din kee chhuTTee), they mean "the Christmas holiday."
Christmas words in Hindi
- बड़ा दिन (baRaa din): Christmas, "the big day"
- क्रिसमस (krismas): Christmas
- गिरजाघर (girjaaghar): church
- तारा (taaraa): star
- मोमबत्ती (mombattee): candle
- उपहार (upahaar): gift (also तोहफ़ा, tohfaa)
How Christmas looks across India
Goa: carols, cribs and kuswar
Goa has a long Catholic history, and Christmas there is joyful and musical. Families build nativity scenes called cribs, sometimes large enough to fill a courtyard. Carolers go from house to house. Kitchens prepare a tray of homemade sweets known in Konkani as kuswar, which can include curly fried kulkuls, coconut sweets and rich cakes, shared with neighbors of every faith.
Kerala: the star in every window
In Kerala, paper star lanterns hang from homes, shops and churches through December. Many families attend midnight Mass, and the Christmas meal might include appam, a lacy rice pancake, with a fragrant stew. Christmas there sits beside Kerala's other great celebrations like Onam, and neighbors often visit each other's homes during each.
Kolkata: Park Street lights
Kolkata has a long tradition of Christmas, shaped partly by its Anglo-Indian community. Park Street is strung with lights, and the city's old bakeries are famous for fruitcakes in December. Crowds come out in the evening to walk, snack and listen to music.
The Northeast: a whole region celebrates
In Nagaland, Mizoram and Meghalaya, Christmas is the biggest event of the year. Churches are full, choirs sing in local languages, and whole villages share feasts. Many people travel home for the holidays the way families in the US travel home for Thanksgiving.
Delhi, Mumbai and beyond
In big cities, Christmas is also a cheerful public occasion. Malls put up trees, schools hold Christmas programs, and families of every background buy a cake and a little star for the door.
Food words for the holidays
Indian Christmas food is a happy mix of local cooking and older baking traditions.
In the kitchen
- केक (kek): cake
- मेवे (meve): dried fruits and nuts
- मिठाई (mithaaee): sweets
- दावत (daavat): a feast
- दालचीनी (daalcheenee): cinnamon
- लौंग (laung): clove
Many of the spices that flavor Christmas cakes around the world, like cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg, have long histories in Indian trade. Kerala's Malabar Coast was famous for pepper and spices for centuries, which makes the Christmas spice tin a small piece of Indian history.
How to wish someone a merry Christmas in Hindi
You can say "Merry Christmas" in English, and everyone will understand. But here are some Hindi phrases that bring a smile:
Greetings
- क्रिसमस की शुभकामनाएँ (krismas kee shubhkaamnaaen): Best wishes for Christmas
- बड़े दिन की बधाई (baRe din kee badhaaee): Congratulations on the big day
- आपको और आपके परिवार को (aapko aur aapke parivaar ko): To you and your family
- नया साल मुबारक हो (nayaa saal mubaarak ho): Happy New Year
शुभकामनाएँ (shubhkaamnaaen) means "good wishes," and you can use it for any festival: दिवाली की शुभकामनाएँ, ईद की शुभकामनाएँ, क्रिसमस की शुभकामनाएँ. Learn the pattern once, and you can greet friends of every faith.
Christmas activities for Hindi learners
Here are a few family ideas that mix the season with some Hindi practice:
- Make a paper star. Cut a star from colored paper, write तारा (taaraa) on one side and your child's name in Devanagari on the other.
- Count the candles. Count in Hindi as you light them: एक, दो, तीन (ek, do, teen), one, two, three.
- Wrap gifts with Hindi tags. Write उपहार (upahaar), gift, or a simple "for" tag like माँ के लिए (maan ke lie), "for Mom."
- Sing in two languages. Pick a favorite carol and add one Hindi word per line, like "twinkle, twinkle, little तारा."
- Read a winter story. Share a story about family and kindness, and talk about it in simple Hindi afterward.
A thought for families: India is home to Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Jews, among others. Talking about how each community celebrates is one of the best ways for children to learn Hindi words and kindness at the same time.
A short sentence to practice
- आज बड़ा दिन है। (aaj baRaa din hai.): Today is Christmas.
- तारा चमक रहा है। (taaraa chamak rahaa hai.): The star is shining.
- यह उपहार तुम्हारे लिए है। (yah upahaar tumhaare lie hai.): This gift is for you.
Notice that है (hai), "is," sits at the end of each sentence. In Hindi, the verb almost always comes last.
Cozy up with a story
The winter holidays are the perfect time to read together. Our first story, Maya Visits Nani, is free for everyone. It is read aloud in clear Hindi, with every new word explained, and it takes about ten minutes. Pour some cocoa, or some chai, and read it as a family.
From all of us at Hindi Haveli: क्रिसमस की शुभकामनाएँ!
Your turn: try it free
Maya Visits Nani is our free first story, read aloud in clear Hindi with every word explained. Read the free story