Christmas in India is celebrated with much pomp and splendor all across the country. However the nature in which it is celebrated is as diverse as the cultures and communities that exist within India. Achieving secular overtones gradually, Indian’s have different ways of enjoying this holiday season. For example, preparations which are made in Central India for Christmas are completely different from the preparations done in the South.
Christmas isn’t just for the Catholic/Christian community in India. People from different communities get into the spirit of the festival as well. One of the biggest attractions during festivals like Christmas is the beautifully decorated shops with sales and great bargain offers available. Shopping during the season of Christmas is an amazing experience as many people go shopping as a family or as a big group of friends. Clothes are one of the few materialistic things which most women never tire of and Christmas is the best excuse women have to buy clothing and apparel. Women seem to have spread this bug onto the complimentary sex as well. Men are seen scrambling into large department stores as soon as the season is around the corner so as not to be stuck with leftovers.
Clothes reflect a person’s inner style. Most people wear a certain outfit to make a statement. However various trends which spring up during festivals like Christmas has everyone obsessing about the same thing. This creates an even bigger demand for fashion fads. Christmas shop-a-holics are a somewhat recent phenomenon. Most people start window shopping as soon as they see the latest designs hitting the shops for the season. Stores start stacking up with fresh new supplies. The runway has models walking the ramps with designer wear geared up for the season.
The month of December officially kicks off the wedding season in India too. Many Hindu wedding ceremonies are often long and monotonous and most people have them in December because the weather is just perfect. Families too have a great time to bond while shopping for different wedding outfits that havte to be bought for everyone. This is true even for Catholic weddings, as Christmas is the season most Christians have to attend at least 4 weddings in one month! What with weddings, parties, Christmas day, New Years day, anniversaries and birthdays to attend, a new outfit is called for to grace every occasion.