Christmas is the time when everyone gather together to revel in the festivity and beat the winter blues. The sound of carols and jingle bells fills the atmosphere with energy and happiness. What’s more nostalgic is the aroma of freshly baked gingerbread cookies and plum cake that are showcased in bakeries on the street tempting you to feast upon. Christmas is the time when you unleash your inner child, devour those home-made cookies and candies satisfying your sweet tooth’s craving and throw snowballs at your loved ones. Sounds like heaven right?
Since Christmas is around the corner, you shouldn’t be sitting at your home and spend your day binge-watching ‘christmas movies’ on Netflix. It’s time to come out of the shell and experience the melodies of Christmas celebration in India in their truest form. The season of lights and decorations, giving and receiving, angels and Santa, cookies and cake can make your Christmas holidays in India all more pulsating and heart-warming. Here are the best places in India to celebrate Christmas Eve. After all, we all need a little warmth in chilly winter, right?
Manali
Manali is a paradise for snow lovers who cannot resist visiting this place especially during Christmas and New Year’s Eve. Christmas in India is a huge affair in hill-stations. Travelers from every nook and corner of the country join the festivities in Manali and enjoy these occasions with equal zest and fervor as celebrated in other parts of the world. Snow and Christmas are the perfect settings to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.
A trip to Manali during Christmas is an awestruck and soul-soothing experience that you don’t want to miss in this lifetime. If you want to cherish family time, celebrating the Christmas in Manali is the next thing to do as soon as the chilled weather of December reaches your town. Manali Trip during Christmas is not going to disappoint you. End this year with a fabulous celebration amidst the snow-capped mountain of Manali!
Goa
To indulge in a wholesome Christmas experience, Goa is the place to be. Goa is the most happening place in the country to celebrate Christmas festival amidst the colorful streets, decorated trees and houses and warm glow of festive lights soothing your soul. Known for its amazing nightlife and parties, pebbly shores and raw natural beauty, Goa is a welcoming change for tourists (local or international) who want to witness the spirit of Christmas, unlike any place.
The midnight mass in Church, kids playing with flowers and devouring fresh cookies and cake, the sound of Christmas carols and late-night parties at Anjuna beach, Candolim beach and Mapusa beach can make your heart go tamed and wild at the same time. Goa has got everything to make your Christmas getaway a memorable one.
Gulmarg
Christmas in India is incomplete without celebrating this spectacular festival in the lap of snow-clad hills of Gulmarg. While Goa and Manali have got their charm but Gulmarg is a place to be during Christmas for those who yearn for a quiet holiday and ‘me’ time. Travel junkies who wish to divert their attention from the clichéd destinations and discover a new Christmas den will find Gulmarg a bewitching holiday destination. In the frosty weather of December, what could be more appealing than sipping hot chocolate, eating home-baked cookies and watch kids playing in the snow? If the idea captures your attention, why not book a Christmas holiday in Gulmarg?
Pahalgam
The state of Jammu and Kashmir is a Pandora’s Box filled with surreal natural sceneries, glistening waterfalls, mesmerizing gardens, heart-melting generosity and hospitality of locals, snow-capped mountains, apple-orchards and what not! Pahalgam is an enchanting place to spend winter vacations in India especially during Christmas Eve. The frozen rivers, bone-chilling gusty wind, naked-trees, land covered with snow for miles are the tranquilizing experiences to enjoy on your trip. What is more exhilarating is that in Pahalgam, you get to enjoy winter sports such as skiing and ice-skating and revitalize yourself. Why get caught up with the sedentary lifestyle when you can take a break to enjoy an extraordinary winter trip to Pahalgam that is likely to give you the feeling of visiting Arendelle of ‘Frozen’.
Pondicherry
If you fancy a bonfire at the beach and love to have an interesting conversation with fellow travelers, Pondicherry is the place to visit in December especially during Christmas. During Christmas, the streets of former French colonial settlement is packed with decorations, twinkling lights, kids singing carols, ladies making delicious festive cuisines and late-light parties. Why miss the fun when you can plan your Christmas trip in India right now? Christmas celebration in the gothic churches of Pondicherry is something that will make you yearn for more.
Mumbai
‘Amchi Mumbai’ never fails to amaze tourists. Christmas here is celebrated and enjoyed by all with equal enthusiasm no matter the religion. The dramatic streets of Mumbai are adorned with sparkling lights, churches decorated with pleasant flowers and scented candles, melodies of live music and bakeries baking the most delicious Christmas delicacies, the rich-aroma of which fills your nostrils and gives you hunger pangs. Moreover, the skyline and oceanfront of Mumbai are enough to leave you enamored. It is indeed one of the best Christmas holiday destinations in India that shouldn’t be ignored at all.
Kolkata
Catholic or not, people of Kolkata knows how to celebrate Christmas. The festival of giving and receiving is taken seriously here as you can find the people decorating their houses, churches adorned with flashy lights and flowers, the sound of christmas carols in the air, Santa showering gifts, rock bands performing their #1 hits, exhibitions and what not! Kolkata is an ideal holiday destination in winters to enjoy the festivity of Christmas and New Year with equal fervor.
Delhi
Who says ‘Dilliwalas’ don’t celebrate Christmas? Delhites enjoy every festival as they simply need an excuse to celebrate. People in Delhi are very warm and courteous to the travelers and often guide them on the ways to capture the essence of Delhi. Christmas like every other festival is celebrated with equal fervency as is done in the other parts of the country. You can visit a church or a mall and see the spirit of festivity come alive. Posh streets decorated with fancy lights, restaurants serving Christmas special delicacies, pubs and bars throwing theme parties, hawkers selling Christmas caps and toys are an absolute treat to the eyes. Delhi gives you plenty of reasons and choices to celebrate the ‘Big day’.
Bangalore
Bangalore, the IT hub of India celebrates Christmas on a grand level. If your love for food and travel goes beyond anything else, then you’ll find Bangalore a perfect place to visit during Christmas. Be it a rum-soaked cake or drool-worthy plum cake, the taste of treats will keep lingering in your mouth. Aside from the tummy-filling dishes, every street in Bangalore can be seen celebrating Christmas with decorations and people singing in merriment. Visiting a church on Christmas Eve adds another level of fun to this festival of joy.
Dalhousie
For those who love snow and solitude, Dalhousie is the perfect Christmas destination to visit. Surrounded by snow in the harsh winters of December, Dalhousie is a captivating hill station to enjoy the festival in calm and amidst nature. Wrapped in a warm blanket and drinking hot tea/coffee whilst watching the snowfall is a dream come true for nature lovers. Dalhousie is an offbeat Christmas holiday place that is loved by people looking for some ‘me’ time away from the hustle and bustle of cities. Couples can cherish their time together by enjoying a bonfire or going for long walks between the dense forests with a thick fog and listening to the melodious chirpings of the birds. Listening soft music while tucked in the cozy blanket and eating mouth-watering local cuisine is another level of fun that you cannot get anywhere else.
No matter if you’re drawn to the hilltops or cities to celebrate Christmas Eve, these holiday places to visit in India are going to steal your hearts! Do tell us your trip plans for Christmas through the comment box.
