Bara Din in Pakistan

Christmas in Pakistan is a holiday but more for the memory of Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan. In this Islamic country, Christmas is known as Bara Din and with a minority Christian population; the celebrations are limited in pockets of Christian dominated areas. Although are somewhat austere, the enthusiasm is always present. This has got a lot to do with the fact that majority of the Christians live below the poverty line in this country.
A big procession is carried out in Lahore from St. Anthony’s Church to the Cathedral for the services, which takes almost an hour. The Advent is celebrated with pomp and spiritual seminars are conducted. Carols are sung during the last week of Advent and people sing carols as they visit the various houses in the area and the custom is that each family makes some sort of an offering to the choir in honor of their visit. The money collected in this exercise is handed over to the church or used for charity acts. In areas that are densely populated with Christians, the houses are decorated and a star is hung from the roof.

The streets are also lighted up and decorated. There are also Christmas trees and in certain areas people are excited about the crib competition as well. Christmas cakes are also exchanged between families. Streamers and colorful flags mark the church decorations during the Christmas Eve.  A vigil mass is conducted in the midnight and there are fireworks that commence the celebration of Christmas in Pakistan.

This is an occasion when every Christian will get a new dress for himself and even people who normally do not visit the churches, make it a point to attend the midnight services during Christmas. They gather in the courtyard of the church after the mass and exchange greetings. This is an opportunity to catch up with friends and relatives and they spend a lot of time on the courtyard itself, discussing and enjoying. Various stalls are set up along the streets and people love to gather around them and savor the food and snacks. Nuclear families or children staying abroad make it a point to visit their parents during Christmas. .

Christmas in Pakistan is more of a family affair and the evening in the time when the immediate members of the family and close friends come together to enjoy the special Christmas dinner. There is a traditional staple menu during the Christmas. Rice is served with beef or chicken curry accompanied by a special sweet dish. The customary way to greet each other is by saying “Bara din mubarrak ho!” This means, “may the blessing of Christmas be on you”. This is a popular expression with the Muslims in Pakistan as well.