The History of

Indian Christmas

: From Goa to Kerala

Quick Summary

Before the British came swarming in with their Christmas trees and carols, there was St. Thomas the Apostle. It was not a flashy affair back in the day, and many communities continue to celebrate Christmas the same way even today. You get plum cakes, eggnog and more on a platter with regional favourites like pork vindaloo and nga atoiba thongba curries with their distinctive local flavours ranging from sour and spicy to mild and citrusy. 

Deep Dive

Christmas in India begins in older places than most people imagine; it kicks off in Kerala with its ancient echo in old ports, coastal churches, and neighbourhoods where recipes and rituals have survived migrations, colonial rule and cultural mingling. The biggest thing to note here is it ain’t all American Christmas all over the country. The celebrations are quiet and a time to connect with family and feast, and the food is also specific. The northeast likes their pork and fish, so do Goa and Kerala, but the preparations are completely different. Read on for an insight into the history of Christmas in India and the much-loved festive food. 

Christianity Takes Root in Kerala

The story of Christmas in India begins not with the British, French or Portuguese colonial powers, but with an apostle's journey nearly two millennia ago. According to tradition, Christianity arrived in India when St. Thomas the Apostle landed at Muziris (present-day Kodungallur) in Kerala in 52 AD. This makes Indian Christianity among the oldest Christian communities in the world.

St. Thomas is believed to have established seven churches across Kerala's coastal regions. His missionary work among the Malabar Coast communities laid the foundation for what would become the Saint Thomas Christian tradition. After his work in Kerala, St. Thomas travelled to the eastern coast of India, where he was martyred at Mylapore in 72 AD. The early converts were largely from high-caste families and Jewish communities already settled in Kerala. These Syrian Christians, as they came to be known, maintained their unique identity for centuries, long before Christmas trees and carols arrived on Indian shores.

Christmas Comes to Goa via the Portuguese

The second major chapter in Indian Christmas history began with Portuguese colonial expansion. Afonso de Albuquerque conquered Goa in 1510, establishing what would become the capital of the Portuguese Empire east of the Cape of Good Hope for 450 years. With Portuguese rule came Roman Catholicism and European Christmas traditions that would permanently transform the culture of coastal India – Christianity would dominate in certain parts, especially Goa.

Despite this difficult period, Christmas traditions took deep root in Goan society. The Portuguese influence introduced distinctive customs like the Consoada, a Christmas Eve dinner tradition. December 24 was marked by church attendance, prayers, and fasting, culminating in the Midnight Mass, followed by Consoada, a meal characterised by light and comforting fare. Fusion fare followed, gradually, thanks to Portuguese influences, which persist in Goa today.

The British Propagators Arrive

The British colonial period (beginning in the early 1600s with the East India Company) further spread Christmas celebrations across India. Christmas became a popular holiday during the British colonial period, with Christmas trees and other decorations introduced, and Christmas parties and feasts becoming common. The British influence was particularly strong in urban centres like Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai, and Bangalore, where Anglo-Indian communities developed their own Christmas traditions.

Unique Food Traditions of Indian Christmas

While hostility towards Christmas celebrations endured post Indian Independence, it was still celebrated in areas with sizable Christian populations. The Christian community represents only 2.3 per cent of the nation's population, with northeastern states of Nagaland, Meghalaya, and Mizoram having significant Christian populations, while Kerala, Goa, and major metropolitan areas remain key centres of Christmas celebration. So what’s on their plate?

Goan Christmas

The centrepiece of many Goan Christmas tables is sorpotel, which has diced pork in a spicy gravy, with meat, fat, and pig's blood also going into it. Prepared days ahead of Christmas, sorpotel's flavours intensify over time, making it a quintessential Christmas dish. It is traditionally served with sannas, a cousin of idlis. Pork vindaloo is another Goan favourite, which has a generous use of vinegar, a hallmark of Portuguese-influenced Goan cuisine. 

Moving on to desserts, the Goan Christmas dessert tradition is legendary. It centres around kuswar, a platter of traditional sweets shared among friends and neighbours. This assortment includes neureos (deep-fried pastry stuffed with coconut and jaggery), bebinca (a multi-layered coconut and egg dessert), dodol (a sticky, jaggery-based pudding), and kulkuls (small fried curls of dough dusted with sugar). 

Bebinca deserves special mention as the queen of Goan desserts. This multilayered cake is made from rice flour and coconut milk, with some versions featuring seven, nine, or even sixteen layers. Each layer is individually baked and requires patience and skill.

Kerala Christmas

In Kerala, Christmas breakfast is sacred, and nothing embodies this more than the beloved combination of appam and stew. Appam features a spongy centre with crispy, lacey edges, soaked in coconut milk-based stew. The stews themselves vary from mutton stew to chicken stew, but all share a common base of coconut milk, whole spices, making the dish mild and creamy. Christmas in Kerala is unimaginable without this pairing.

Duck holds a special place in Kerala Christmas feasts. Duck mappas, also known as Kerala-style duck stew, is traditionally served at Christmas and family feasts. This rich curry features duck cooked with its skin intact in a coconut milk base flavoured with pepper, green chillies, ginger and garlic. 

Kerala's Christian community also prepares elaborate roasts, biryanis, and seafood dishes during Christmas. Fish moilee, coconut milk-based fish curry, appears on many tables alongside various meat preparations and vegetable dishes.

As for the desserts, Kerala loves their crispy achappam. These are made with rice flour, coconut milk, and sesame seeds and deep-fried as flower shapes. Plum cakes, influenced by British tradition, are a staple, adapted with local ingredients.

Northeast India

The Christian communities of Northeast India let smoked pork take centre stage, reflecting the region's traditional preservation techniques and their love of spice and earthy flavours. In Nagaland, the smoked pork is commonly cooked with bamboo shoots, axone (fermented soybean), or dry red chilli. Prepared over wood fires, this dish defines the festive table. Manipur, meanwhile, loves the nga atoiba thongba or Meitei fish curry, which uses catfish and a wild citrus fruit called heiribob. Pork continues to be a favourite, with some dishes made with pig heads and fermented bamboo shoots. There’s also seasonal greens, sticky rice and porridge.

Pan-Indian Christmas Favourites

Beyond regional specialities, along the coast and mountains, certain dishes have become pan-Indian Christmas favourites. Plum cake, soaked in rum or brandy with dried fruits and nuts, appears in Christian homes across the country. Making plum cakes is a tradition in every Indian Christian family, where the soaking starts weeks in advance with dry fruits, nuts, and candied peels going in rum or brandy for weeks in advance. Biryani is also made during Christmas, especially in Kerala and Goa. 

Sugar, Spice and Everything Hymns

As Christmas approaches each year, these culinary traditions continue to evolve while maintaining their essential character. Plum cakes and vinegary dishes from Goa to coconut stews in Kerala serve as a delicious expression of celebration, while linking back to centuries of history. Christmas couldn’t be sweeter, and spicier.