Lucknow, Amrit Vichar. The Christian community in and around Lucknow is preparing to celebrate the festival of Christmas with joy and happiness on 25th December. The Christmas season began this year on Sunday, November 30, 2025, marking the beginning of the Advent season. The word Advent comes from the Latin word adventus. Which means Advent, four weeks of prayerful preparation in preparation for Christmas, preparation for the celebration of the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ in Bethlehem.
There are many Christmas activities that will showcase the happy and joyful nature of the occasion. Holy Mass with singing of Christmas carols will be held at St. Joseph’s Cathedral in Hazratganj, the main church of the city, on December 24 at around 10:30 pm, and it will be led by Bishop of Lucknow Gerald John Mathias and other priests. This year, parish members will participate in midnight Holy Mass on December 25 and worship services held during the day.
The cathedral complex will be decorated with Christmas lights, Christmas cribs and Christmas stars. Which will show the happy atmosphere of Christmas. Every year on Christmas Day, from about 10 am to 10 pm, more than 80 thousand people come to the church and the Grotto of Our Lady to light votive candles and pray.
Other events include a Christmas get-together for prominent civic and religious leaders of the city on 26 December 2025 at 4:30 pm.
In his Christmas message, Bishop of Lucknow Gerald Mathias said that at Christmas we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace. May this Christmas bring us the real peace and joy provided by Jesus Christ that is so needed in today’s world. He appealed to the Christian community to return to the spiritual message of Christmas and not commercialize this important holy festival.