Other religious festivals in India are much larger than Christmas, mostly due to the small Christian population (about 2.3%). Mumbai is home to one of the largest Indian Christian communities, where many are Roman Catholics. Christmas is closely tied to religion, making midnight mass very important, followed by a feast mostly of various curries, and then an exchange of gifts. In Goa, where about a quarter of the population is Christian, there are some more customs that the west is more familiar with, such as caroling, nativity scenes, Christmas cake and local sweets. Giant star paper lanterns are hung on Christmas Eve, followed by a meal with dishes such as roast turkey or chicken. In Southwest India, roughly 22% of the population is made up of Catholics and Christians. Fasting from the 1st to 24th of December, Christmas is celebrated by many, and homes are decorated with a Christmas star. Known as “Christmas Baba” in Hindi, the nice children will receive presents delivered from a horse and cart. Families do not have traditional Christmas trees and instead decorate mango or banana trees.
