Christmas in India – how does that work? For many people (including me), it was difficult to imagine at first: Christmas trees, snow and presents - accompanied by warm climate, cows and monkeys? I asked friends, colleagues, shopkeepers and people on the street about it. How do they celebrate this festival? Is it as grand and pompous as in Christian countries? I got various answers, but one can be said for certain – Christmas is enjoyed by everyone!

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There are few Christians in India – slightly more than 2%. Nevertheless, India and particularly Delhi are great places to celebrate the Christmas festival. There is plenty to do in the capital – Christmas is probably the most international festival, cutting across all religions, nationalities and age groups. In December, everyone is excited about wrapping gifts, baking cakes and taking part in the celebrations. The city turns white, green and red, overflowing with Christmas goodies, souvenirs, Santa hats, decorations, and of course the Christmas spirit. Hotels, restaurants and shops try to outdo each other with the brightest possible decorations and most attractive festive offers. Here and there, Santa can be spotted roaming around, distributing sweets and gifts among children. Carol choirs can be heard around churches. Many hotels, nightclubs, restaurants and banquet halls organise parties over Christmas. Christmas holidays in Delhi are a time for shopping, enjoying and partying. Different events take place simultaneously, allowing you to celebrate the festive season exactly as you like it.

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Whether you come for business, education, or leisure, India's capital city Delhi offers you countless opportunities to spend your time. To help you make the most of this mega-city, we have gathered together over 100 interesting, fun, and often unconventional ideas into one handy guide. See how many you manage to tick off before you leave - that is, if you intend to leave behind the city's excitement at all…


ACTIVITIES:

1. Learn Hindustani, the lingua franca of the Indian Subcontinent (that covers the continuum of the standard registers Hindi and Urdu). For Delhi this is a real Must - and will make you enjoy the city all the more!

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Around Mid-Autumn Festival there is an interesting custom occurring in China, especially among the younger generations: text greetings! The 15th day of the 8th month of the Chinese lunar calendar (12th of September in 2011) is one of the most important festivals in China, 中秋节, the Mid-Autumn Festival. It is a harvest festival dating back over 3,000 years, and it is celebrated by worshipping the moon. The particular date falls around the time of the autumn equinox, which is usually in September or early October. Traditionally, on this day Chinese families and friends will gather to admire the bright mid-autumn harvest moon and eat moon cakes, round or rectangular pastries with a thick filling. Even though many people are still upholding tradition, others are spending time doing other activities such as travelling or partying.

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Interaction with people from different cultures is next to the obvious change in landscapes the most striking thing while going abroad. You talk about cultural issues that are different like eating habits or local traditions. So of course it was also one of the things I talked about a lot while being abroad and it was at this time that I discovered how odd foreign people find Queen’s Day, which is maybe the biggest Dutch-specific public holiday. People find this odd because how are people partying everywhere and dressed up like crazy in orange be related to the Queen of the Netherlands?

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“What is the most wonderful sight in India – the strangest thing to be seen in all this land, where so much is strange? For my part, I am inclined to doubt whether anything can be witnessed more impressive and picturesque, more pregnant, too, with meaning and significance, than the Kumbh Mela, or great Pilgrim Fair, which is held, once every twelve years, where the waters of the Ganges and Jumna meet, below the wall of Allahabad. Until you have look upon one of these tremendous gatherings of humanity many aspects of Indian life and character must be hidden from you.”
Sydney Low during the visit of the Prince and Princess of Wales to India (1906)

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Some 250 years ago, during the rule of Aurangzeb in India, it wasn't the best of times for music and the arts. Aurangzeb, adhering to a very orthodox brand of Islam (in contrast to previous Mogul emperors like Akbar, Jahangir and Shah Jahan), is remembered for his uncompromising religious views, such as the discouraging of singing or music for Hindus and Muslims alike. When musicians lost their imperial patronage, they started looking for more supportive environments.

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“Fasenacht” is one of the many local German expressions for carnival which, depending on the region, have developed more or less from climatic, historical and religious origins. You can find this period of celebrations in almost every Christian culture. However, there exist comparable festivals in other cultures as well, such as Holi, Dol Yatra or Kamadhana in India. Generally speaking, they are all about celebrating the end of winter and trying to disperse the bad spirits, for example, with colourful costumes or masks. But today these celebrations aren’t reduced to the locals alone. Many have turned into multicultural events in which everyone can participate.

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