Woman shops for Christmas decorations in in Central Street, Pune. (Photo: Pavan Khengre)Christmas Holiday Season 2021 Celebrations Live Updates: Celebrated on December 25 every year, Christmas marks and commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and the second of the Holy Trinity of Christianity (the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit).
Christ, believed to have been miraculously conceived, was born in a stable in Bethlehem to Mother Mary and Saint Joseph. Jesus of Nazareth was a spiritual leader, whose teachings formed the foundation of Christianity.
Although the Bible does not mention a specific date for his birth, Emperor Constantine, the first Christian Roman emperor, designated December 25 as ‘Christmas’ — a day to commemorate Christ’s birth. The United States declared December 25 as a federal holiday in 1870 and it has been a widely-recognised holiday ever since.
This day serves as a reminder of Christ’s enormous sacrifice for mankind and his lessons on how to be a nobleman, as he is the emblem of all divinity. God is said to have sent his son Jesus into the world to save humans from all evils. Christmas is also known as the ‘Feast of Nativity’ and has a cultural as well as religious significance for the Christian, as well as non-Christian community.
In the pandemic, the celebrations may look a little different. But if you take all necessary precautions, you may be able to bring festive cheer with your near and dear ones. Just follow all Covid protocols.
📣 For more lifestyle news, follow us on Instagram | Twitter | Facebook and don’t miss out on the latest updates!
How do you plan to celebrate this year? (Photo: Partha Paul)
South Africa became one of the first countries to identify the new fast-spreading Omicron variant
Try this easy recipe!
The school is in the books of Guinness World Records. Read More Here
Here are some lovely pictures from across the country from our photographers
The mantra, as an industry insider put it, is cautiously optimistic. Read More Here
Who said you can't workout during festivities? Here's today's inspiration from actor Prithviraj Sukumaran
As per a PTI report, the Christian community in Kerala on Saturday celebrated Christmas with traditional fervour, pomp and enthusiasm.
The festive spirit started with the midnight mass which was held in churches across the state. Senior bishops and priests delivered the Christmas message. While Cardinal Mar Baselios Cleemis led the midnight mass at the St Mary's Cathedral of Syro Malankara Catholic Church in the state capital, Cardinal Mar George Alanchery of Syro Malabar Catholic Church conducted the service in Kochi and gave out the Christmas message. Celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ, people decorated their homes with bright, colourful lights and a Christmas tree. Feasts were prepared and which were shared with neighbours and friends.
Devotees said unlike previous year's Christmas celebrations which were dampened by COVID-19 restrictions, there were no restrictions in place for this year's Christmas celebrations. However, people maintained vigil by wearing masks, using sanitizer and keeping distance in view of spread of Omicron variant of coronavirus, they said. Kerala has reported 37 cases of Omicron so far.
Actor Amitabh Bachchan took to social media to wish "Peace, harmony, safety, and love"
Here are must-play carols to celebrate the occasion
Take a look at her Instagram post here
Even if you were trying to eat healthier, indulgent foods are often displayed more prominently in supermarkets and shops during the holidays, making it difficult to pass up on our favourite foods and drinks. Read Here
Indian President Ram Nath Kovind took to Twitter to wish everyone on the occasion
Usher in the festivities with special messages, wishes. Read More Here
PM Modi took to Twitter to extend greetings on the occasion
Here are some foolproof ideas to make it special!
Here are some joy-filled wishes from actor and politician Khushbu Sundar
Do try this recipe for your Christmas celebrations; millets are healthier any day
Here's what the Rang De Basanti actor Soha Ali Khan posted on her Instagram
Christmas celebrations begin today. Send love and warm wishes to your loved ones with these messages
Starting from the Victorians’ macabre sketches to Spanish artist Salvador Dalí’s surrealist experimentation, Andy Warhol's blotted line art and Banksy's controversial graffiti, we take a journey into the history of Christmas cards which have challenged conventions and even provoked outrage. Read more here.
From a Christmas market in the Place Kléber Square in Strasbourg, France to one in Cologne, Germany -- check out the stunning pictures here.
We have to once again tread cautiously amid concerns of another Covid wave. As the Omicron variant makes waves, experts suggest that you take both the doses of Covid vaccine as soon as it’s possible, and stay alert by masking up and maintaining social-distancing while stepping out.
As we gear up for Christmas celebrations, there may be some house parties planned between friends and family members. Dr Paritosh Baghel, senior consultant, Internal Medicine at SL Raheja Hospital, Mahim, suggests some ways to keep the holiday spirit high and also stay cautious. Here is what you can do.
Christmas has been celebrated as one of the most important holidays around the world. On Christmas Eve, December 24, people attend midnight mass at churches. Families decorate their homes with Christmas ornaments, stockings, tinsels and most importantly, the tree. Read more here.
It is the season to spread joy. Christmas parties are common around the world and if you are lookng to host one, make sure you look drop-dead gorgeous. These celebrities show you how to get your diva on; click here to check out the entire gallery!
Earlier this month, Pantone announced its colour of the year 2022 — a violet-blue shade called ‘Very Peri’ which is, as described by Pantone, “a symbol of the global zeitgeist of the moment and the transition we are going through”. It also said that the colour encompasses “the qualities of the blues, yet at the same time possessing a violet-red undertone, PANTONE 17-3938 Very Peri displays a spritely, joyous attitude and dynamic presence that encourages courageous creativity and imaginative expression.”
While you have seen this colour many a time in your life — it has permeated the fashion world — it is time you discover how you can smartly weave it into your home decor. Find out here.
The biblical town of Bethlehem is gearing up for its second straight Christmas Eve hit by the coronavirus -- with small crowds and gray, gloomy weather dampening celebrations Friday in the traditional birthplace of Jesus.
A ban on nearly all incoming air traffic by Israel -- the main entry point for foreign visitors heading to the occupied West Bank -- kept international tourists away for a second consecutive year. The ban is meant to slow the spread of the highly contagious omicron variant, which has shaken Christmas celebrations around the world.
Instead, local authorities were counting on the Holy Land’s small Christian community to lift spirits.
Bethlehem’s mayor, Anton Salman, said the town was optimistic that 2021 would be better than last year’s Christmas, when even local residents stayed home due to lockdown restrictions. Bethlehem planned a return of its traditional marching band parades and street celebrations.
“Last year, our festival was virtual, but this year it will be face to face with popular participation,” Salman said.
Police erected barricades early Friday as scout bands marched through Manger Square banging drums and holding flags ahead of the expected arrival from Jerusalem of Latin Patriarch Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the top Roman Catholic clergyman in the Holy Land.
Pizzaballa was scheduled to celebrate Midnight Mass at the nearby Church of the Nativity — which houses the grotto where Christians believe Jesus was born.
By midday, several hundred people, nearly all of them Palestinians, milled about behind the barricades to celebrate the occasion.
Before the pandemic, Bethlehem would host thousands of Christian pilgrims from around the world, bringing a strong dose of holiday spirit to the town and a huge jolt to the local economy. The loss of international tourism, the lifeblood of Bethlehem's economy, has hit hotels, restaurants and gift shops especially hard.
“Under normal conditions for this time of year, I usually have a 20-meter queue outside,” said Adil Abu Nayaf, owner of an empty food stall in Manger Square.
Those who attended tried to make the best of a difficult situation. The Holy Land is home to over 200,000 Christians, a small but tight-knit community that makes up an estimated 1% to 2% of the population in Israel and the occupied West Bank. There are also thousands of foreign laborers and African migrants, as well as diplomats and journalists.
Billy Stuart, an employee at the British Consulate in Jerusalem, said his experience in Bethlehem was uplifting, despite the smaller-than-hoped-for crowds.
“The parade is amazing and I did not realize there were so many Palestinian bag pipers,” he said. (AP)
Aqua artist Mayur Dev shares how to nurture an aquarium with a DIY decorative piece made up of real moss and plants to replicate a Christmas tree. Check out the steps here.
Christmas, which marks the birth of Jesus Christ, is celebrated on December 25 every year with much fanfare. And then comes the new year which marks fresh beginnings. To celebrate the festive spirit, take out time to wish your loved ones with these wishes and greetings in advance. Read more here.
A New York City neighborhood is fully turned on for Christmas, drawing throngs to its annual light show, even as the Omicron variant puts a damper on celebrations.
Residents in Brooklyn's Dyker Heights vie to outdo each other with colorful displays of snowmen, nativity scenes, reindeer, nutcrackers, candy canes and light-studded trees and bushes.
For some visitors, the experience was just what the doctor ordered.
"It was important for me to see the Christmas spirit," said French tourist Virginie Issautier. "And here is the best thing, in the best fashion to see it. And after all these months and years of disease, of COVID, it's a new hope to see all these lights."
The lack of snow did not faze visitors from more tropical areas.
Dyker Heights' seasonal lights took off in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks in 2001 and stayed on even at the height of the pandemic in 2020, residents said. The light show has become a pit stop for tour buses along with the likes of Rockefeller Center and Times Square.
"It's weird watching it explode to the popularity that it is now," said Frank Wilders from the neighborhood, with his son Ryan by his side. "Now that I am able to share it with my kids, especially my son, makes it even better." (Reuters)
Sing these songs so you and your family can get your Christmas groove on. Check them out here.