On the occasion of Christmas on Wednesday, hundreds of churches throughout the region offered prayers for peace and prosperity, putting the northeastern states in full festive mood. Highlights of the festivities included carol singing and Secret Santa at work, special prayers in churches since midnight, and fireworks exploding.
The people were hailed on the occasion by the chief ministers and governors of every state in the northeast. Christmas masses were held in Nagaland, Mizoram, Meghalaya, and other northeastern states, and thousands of public and private buildings were brilliantly illuminated starting on Monday. Traditional fervour and devotion mark Christmas in India.
While there are a sizable Christian population in the other northeastern states, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Meghalaya are home to almost six million Christians.
To let citizens to participate in the celebrations, state governments in Nagaland, Mizoram, and Meghalaya—three states with a large Christian population—have declared several-day holidays. To commemorate the importance of the event, customary communal feasts are planned for the second day.
People of various ages and backgrounds, including non-Christians and members of other religions, were also celebrating Christmas in Assam, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh, and Sikkim. In highland and valley areas, festivities were slightly muted due to ethnic unrest in Manipur.
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