Christmas in India

2020christmas
Written By Dana Bhalla
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In India, everything and everyone is considered spiritual. Indians love celebrating festivals, and Christmas is no exception!

As a diverse nation of over 19,000 languages spoken, and over 300 million gods worshiped, most Indians do not know the meaning of Christmas. Neighborhoods are filled with decoration shops, and people even dress up as Santa to do Bollywood style dance caroling!

I remember my Hindu in-laws' neighborhood Christmas party, with blaring music and an Indian Santa strolling around the apartment society. The cultural aspect of honoring culture and celebrating cultural festivals is ingrained in the Indian mentality.

But Christmas without Jesus is no Christmas at all! As followers of Christ in India, it is our joy to share the Good News of Jesus, the promised and long-anticipated Savior of the world.

Within an already spiritual country, people are desperate for prayer and will ask for prayer on the spot without prior encouragement: they are seeking true hope!

My husband Alex and I enjoy hosting neighbors and reaching out to families in the slum areas with a hot meal, fun Bollywood dancing/Punjabi bhangra and carols, and with time together as a community on Christmas. But most importantly, we share Jesus with those who have never even heard his name before.

Dana Bhalla

CCWM ministry leader Dana Jaehnert Bhalla, is currently in the United States, waiting to return to Southeast Asia due to COVID restrictions. Dana and her husband Alex have a specific focus on the unreached, especially to the suffering and the sick. Their time is spent sharing the Good News in hospitals, slums, orphanages, and developing areas. They aim to pray, teach, disciple, and walk alongside those in suffering that God has designed for them to minister to.

https://www.ccwm.org/namit-and-dana
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