India Celebrates Christmas Under Shadow Of Covid-19

Due to strict protocol in place, churches of different denominations held online programmes to convey Christmas messages to people

A man dressed as Santa Claus gives a gift to a COVID-19 patient during Christmas celebration, at a Hospital in Noida, on Friday

NEW DELHI: The COVID19 pandemic cast a shadow on Christmas celebrations this year as people followed strict protocols and celebrated the holiday in a low-key manner across the country.

The peal of midnight bells in churches and carols reverberating in praise of Lord Jesus ushered in the yuletide spirit in Goa.

The Christmas celebration in the state, where nearly 30 per cent population is Christian, started with traditional fervour amid strict adherence to the standard operating procedures (SOPs) laid down by the state government.

People came out in large numbers to attend the midnight mass. However, only 200 people were allowed to attend the mass in each church and the attendees had to maintain physical distance, wear masks and sanitise their hands, a priest attached to Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Church in Panaji said on Friday.

The festival will continue till the New Year, the priest added.

At some places, special pandals were set up outside the churches to accommodate those people who could not attend the mass inside.

Apart from the churches and chapels, people also thronged the beaches across the state at midnight. Markets in the state were seen packed with items used to decorate cribs, depicting the birth of Lord Jesus.

For the first time since Christianity was introduced in the picturesque state of Mizoram in 1890s, the traditional way of celebrating Christmas was shunned due to COVID-19 protocols in place across the state.