By Jessie Vemula

This is a post in the series, ‘Christmas Around the World,’ first published in the General Baptist International Missions Capsule. Don’t receive the Capsule? You can always catch the latest digital issue on the GB website under the International Missions tab and click on Capsule.

Christmas is an important holiday for Indian Christians. However, when I was young I used to not think that. Growing up in a mostly Hindu country and going to a Hindu school did not help my views. My Hindu schoolmates had fun on most breaks from school, because there were so many festivals.

During the year a Hindu can celebrate at least 50 different festivals. When the break was over and school started again, my friends would brag and tell me what a wonderful time they had. This made me feel bad, and I wished that Christians had more festivals like Hindus.

When Christmas would start to get closer though, I would get very anxious and excited, because I knew I was going to get to have fun like my schoolmates and make them jealous. As a child this is what I thought and felt, but now I look at Christmas as a great opportunity. When the Christmas season approaches we start preparing everything from children’s plays, decorations, and even painting the church. The church will be decorated with many colors, garlands, and balloons. The children will do dances and a nativity play. Everyone is so excited and happy when the month of December finally arrives.

Another part of Christmas here is caroling. Usually a group of people will go to our church members’ houses. One person in the group will be dressed as Santa Clause and he will give out cookies, candies, and gospel tracts. After caroling our church member will serve sweets and other foods that they have prepared to the group. It is a great time of fellowship, celebration, and opportunity.

Christmas is the one time of the year that we are not kept from worshipping Christ openly. There is less opposition and persecution from Hindus. So Christmas is the time for us to really focus on sharing about that faithful night when God sent His son to earth so that He could die for all. This is a very precious time for every church member here because they get an opportunity to tell about Jesus Christ and what He has done for them.

Please pray for Christmas in India. Pray that it will be a time when many souls will come to know about the baby that was born in Bethlehem that Christmas night!