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what do they call christmas in india

In India, people usually just call it “Christmas,” but a very common Indian name for it is “Bada Din,” which means “The Big Day.”

Main name in India

  • Across much of North India and in everyday speech, Christmas is affectionately called Bada Din because it marks a big, joyful day of celebration on 25 December.
  • English “Christmas” is widely used in cities, churches, media, and schools, especially among Christian communities and in official contexts.

Other regional names

Different Indian languages have their own versions of the name, often highlighting the birth of Christ.

  • Tamil: Kiristhu Jayanthi (Birth of Christ).
  • Telugu: Kristhu Jayanti.
  • Malayalam (Kerala): Kristu Perunnal (Great Feast of Christ).
  • Bengali: Boro Din (Big Day), similar in meaning to Bada Din.
  • Punjabi: Badda Din or sometimes Yeldan in certain traditions.
  • In Goa, influenced by Portuguese, people may say Natal for Christmas.

How people refer to it casually

  • On the ground, many Indians simply say things like “Christmas ka time,” “Christmas party,” or “Bada Din ki chhutti,” mixing English and local language.
  • In media and travel content, Christmas in India is often described as “Bada Din celebrations,” especially when talking about traditions like midnight Mass, mango/banana tree decorations, and festive meals.

So if someone asks, “What do they call Christmas in India?” the short, culturally accurate answer is: it’s called Christmas , and very commonly Bada Din (“The Big Day”), with many local-language variations across the country.

TL;DR: They mostly call it “Christmas,” but a popular Indian name is Bada Din (“The Big Day”), plus other local versions like Boro Din , Kiristhu Jayanthi , and Kristu Perunnal.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.