Christmas celebrations in Vadodara a low key affair this year

Churches will be closed and ask people to pray at their homes

Christmas festivities in Vadodara will be a low key affair this year as Corona is still creating havoc all across the country and world. Various of the city churches including the historic Methodist Church at Fategunj area will be closed this Christmas. In addition, New Year’s greetings, including prayer meetings in churches also have been cancelled.

The Corona pandemic, which began in March, has affected all festivals throughout the year. Now the final festival of the year 2020 ‘Christmas’ also cancelled due to Corona. Trustees of most of the churches in the city decided to keep the churches closed on Christmas day to prevent the transition. It has also been decided to close the special service held to celebrate the new year. However, people from all over the Christian community have planned to celebrate the festival by sitting at home and praying.

It is to be mentioned that Fategunj, Navayard, Sama are the areas with majority of Christian community. Christmas is celebrated in a grand way every year by them along with the new year. This year too the Christian community has organized a Christmas celebration but with simplicity. They planned to decorate their houses with lights and pray by following the Covid 19 guidelines.

No prayer meeting will be held in the church this time on Christmas day. There will also be no special New Year’s greeting service. Trustees of churches have called on people of the Christian community to celebrate Christmas and New Year by holding a prayer meeting at home.

Father Samuel of the Rosary Methodist Church in Fatehganj said, Christmas will be celebrated all over the country including Vadodara. But this time it has been decided to celebrate with simplicity because of the Corona pandemic. It has been decided to close the Christmas day prayer meeting at the church at Fategunj as well as the New Year’s greeting service.

Notably, the historic Methodist Church at Fategunj is decorated with magnificent lights from December 25 to December 31 every year. A huge crowd gathered outside the church since the evening of the 31st and danced to the DJ beats and bids farewell to the passing year and welcomes the new year. But, this time the road will be empty due to Coronavirus and people pray for a safe and healthy new year from their homes.