The city of Jamshedpur was enveloped in a warm, festive glow on Thursday as residents came together to celebrate Christmas with immense joy, love, and a strong sense of community. The air buzzed with excitement following the traditional midnight mass and special morning prayers, setting the tone for a day of heartfelt celebrations.
Homes and Churches Abuzz with Festive Traditions
For many families in Jamshedpur, the day began with visits to relatives and welcoming guests into their homes. A central part of the celebration was the elaborate Christmas feast. Tables were laden with the season's favourites, including rich plum cakes, an assortment of baked goods, savoury sweets, and various namkeen items.
Sanjiv Topno, a member of the GEL Church in Sidhgora, highlighted the preparations behind the festivities. "This is the day we prepare for over several weeks," he said. "We not only serve special food to our guests but also exchange gifts to make the occasion truly memorable." The spirit was equally vibrant in residential areas with significant Christian populations, such as Sitaramdera, Sonari, Birsanagar, Golmuri, and Telco, where celebrations were in full swing with music and dance.
City Lights Up with Dazzling Decorations
The Yuletide spirit extended far beyond homes and churches. Across the city, schools, clubs, and especially hotels, invested in stunning decorations to capture the festive mood. Properties were adorned with eye-catching LED light strips, festive face lighting, and intricate decorative crafts, creating a bright and joyful ambience for all visitors.
Explaining the rationale behind the elaborate setups, hotelier Nirmal Singh noted, "From Christmas through to the New Year, guests visit us in a festive mood. We design our decorations keeping this celebratory spirit in mind." This transformation added a magical sparkle to the city's landscape.
Community Service and Continued Celebrations
The celebrations also had a strong element of charity and community service. In a touching gesture, volunteers from the Cancare social outfit spent quality time with cancer patients at a city hospital. Adding to the cheer, Santa Claus distributed fruits and daily-use articles to 125 cancer patients.
Similarly, at churches, Santa became a source of delight for children, handing out chocolates, cakes, balloons, and candles. The festive momentum is set to continue. Dean D’Souza, a volunteer with the Youth Christian Association (YCA), shared that the next few days leading up to New Year's Eve will be filled with Christmas gatherings, musical evenings, and other activities celebrating the birth of Jesus.
The foundation for Thursday's joy was laid on Wednesday evening itself, as scores of devotees gathered at their nearest churches for congregation, singing hymns and carols. The excitement peaked at the stroke of midnight, with faithful followers queuing up to touch the feet of the figurine of the newborn Jesus, marking the culmination of their spiritual observance and the start of the festive day.
