Discover Chennai’s unique Christmas celebrations: Traditions and festivities

’Twas the nighttime earlier Christmas, erstwhile each done the city, determination was a pause. The airdrome unreserved has thinned and Chennai slips backmost into its chaotic rhythm. Christmas present does not get with snow-laden streets oregon orchestral excess; it unfolds done glowing windows, engaged kitchens, and bakeries moving debased connected plum cake. By evening, stretches similar Santhome High Road and Cathedral Road are filled with churchgoers, postulation slowing to a crawl arsenic bells people the hours and crowds spill onto pavements. Fairy lights flicker crossed neighbourhoods, cafés linger implicit seasonal menus, and homes hole for agelong lunches. Evenings agelong outdoors, with conscionable capable of a chill to warrant the thickest cardigan you own. The oversea breeze carries done it all, grounding the time successful a consciousness of familiarity. It is simply a solemnisation shaped by traditions and rituals, by nutrient shared and clip slowed. For those who stayed back, for those who ne'er left, the metropolis is precise overmuch successful the temper to celebrate. Here are 12 things to bash contiguous and implicit this joyous play that volition marque your days jolly.

Attend a wide astatine Santhome Cathedral: Christmas successful Chennai genuinely announces itself astatine Santhome. On Christmas Day, the cathedral hosts beatified masses and the pews capable with families, regulars, and once-a-year churchgoers alike. Built implicit the tomb of St Thomas the Apostle, it remains 1 of the city’s astir recognisable places to people the day. This year, arsenic always, the religion besides features 1 of the city’s tallest Christmas trees, lasting astatine 30 feet, that is lit up aft dark, making an evening sojourn a peculiarly festive mode to acquisition the space.

Go Christmas histrion hopping: Beyond churches, Christmas trees crossed Chennai instrumentality connected galore forms. Hotels and malls crossed the metropolis enactment up their ain interpretations each year, often tying them to trade oregon sustainability. At ITC Grand Chola, the histrion brings to beingness an indigenous creation from from the Nilgiris, portion Hyatt Regency has a 20-foot histrion made of cloth dolls woven by artisans from the aforesaid region. Le Royal Méridien has taken a antithetic route, constructing its histrion utilizing 854 kilograms of repurposed edifice linen. These are conscionable a fewer — however galore others tin you spot crossed the city?

Festive snacking: Christmas brings with it plum cakes, panettone, stollen and a season-long excuse to snack. Pick up goods from speciality bakeries specified arsenic Pumpkin Tales, Amethyst, Brod Bakery, Ajantha Bakers oregon Glen’s Bakehouse, past instrumentality it outdoors to a parkland oregon the beach, portion the upwind is inactive outdoor friendly. For thing lukewarm to sip, cafés crossed the metropolis are serving blistery chocolate, peppermint lattes and adjacent the occasional blistery toddy, with spots similar Bask by Coffee?, Ciclo, Brew Room and Café Ave leaning into the season. Where bash you spell for your Christmas cook fix?

Not the past supper: If snacking is not your style, Christmas Day successful Chennai offers plentifulness of sit-down options, from brunches to leisurely dinners. The Park’s 601 is hosting a Christmas feast and buffet meal (for reservations, telephone 044 42676000), portion The Flying Elephant astatine Park Hyatt is moving its festive brunch with unrecorded euphony (for reservations, telephone 8939871128). Taj Coromandel is laying retired an indulgent festive Christmas Day brunch astatine Prego (for reservations, telephone 7824862310). Beach Terrace rounds it disconnected with a Christmas Day luncheon by the oversea (for reservations, telephone 7550036697). Whatever your mood, the metropolis has a array waiting.

12 pubs of Christmas: Bring a small Irish cheer to Chennai, by gathering your friends to marque your ain pub crawl. The 12 pubs of Christmas contented has arsenic galore oregon arsenic fewer rules arsenic you would like, but present are the non-negotiables. Wear Christmas colours, person the aforesaid benignant of portion astatine each place, usage nationalist transport oregon walk, and talk successful an accent! Have amusive with your crawl but bash not linger for agelong successful 1 place. Some bars to see connected this amusive escapade are — MadCo, Sundays, Secret Story, Radio Room, Sin & Tonic, No Name, Black Orchid, Madras Taproom. Just constrictive down 12 pubs and commemorate each pub with a picture. And retrieve to ne'er portion and drive!

Merry buying spree: Here is however to observe Christmas unhurried. Make a sojourn to this cosy Christmas marketplace acceptable up arsenic an evening hangout with fairy lights, unrecorded acoustic euphony and café specials. The lawsuit features performances by Bun Butter Jam, a karaoke session, and a tiny curated market. There are interactive touches excessively similar a Christmas confession wall, a Letters to Santa station box, and a pop-up photograph corner, alongside games, shared tables and casual conversation. Designed to beryllium lingered implicit alternatively than rushed through, it is the benignant of Christmas evening that is much astir institution than spectacle.

December 28, 5pm onwards, Backyard, Chennai. Tickets from ₹250 connected Bookmyshow.

Use your hands: Christmas is besides a bully clip to stitchery friends and household astir thing hands-on. Beyond meals and shopping, the metropolis is hosting a scope of creative, festive workshops. Third Wave Coffee is hosting 3 specified sessions implicit the play — Christmas histrion decoration, candle making and cooky decoration, offering a relaxed, societal mode to walk a fewer hours together. Organised by Social Sailor, the workshops are being held successful aggregate slots crossed the weekend. This mightiness besides beryllium a large clip to commencement fermenting your grapes for adjacent year’s homemade wine.

Tickets disposable connected BookMyShow starting astatine ₹1,499.

Jingle bells: Christmas euphony usually comes with carols and religion bells. This year, effort thing different. On December 25, Beachville Coffee Roasters successful Alwarpet is hosting a Carnatic jazz performance arsenic portion of the Margazhi season. The day show features Vishnu R connected the Navtar — a nine-string instrumentality helium designed to span Indian raga and Western harmony, alongside tabla and satellite percussion by Muthu Kumar. Titled Raga, Roots & Jazz, the performance blends Indian classical forms with modern sounds, offering a caller mode to people Christmas Day.

December 25, 3pm, Beachville Coffee Roasters, St Mary’s Road. For tickets, sojourn @beachvillecoffee connected Instagram.

Trip to the North Pole: If Christmas inactive means Santa Claus, Santa Stores successful Adyar is leaning afloat into the tone of the season. The store is hosting a cheerful meet-and-greet wherever families and children tin walk clip with Santa, stock their Christmas wishes, and airs for festive photographs. The abstraction volition beryllium decked retired successful vacation decor, making it an casual halt for those already retired buying oregon simply soaking successful the day. Known crossed the metropolis for its Christmas trees, ornaments and festive accessories, Santa Stores turns into a bright, buzzy hub of Christmas cheer.

December 25, Santa Stores, Indira Nagar, Adyar. Entry free.

Run towards joy: Christmas Day feels similar a bully infinitesimal to pause, reset, and determination a little. Cloka Run Club’s solution tally offers a thoughtful mode to bash conscionable that. The community-led inaugural brings unneurotic members for a five-kilometre run, followed by an informal hangout wherever runners bespeak connected the twelvemonth gone by and acceptable idiosyncratic resolutions for the twelvemonth ahead. These goals are not conscionable talked astir and forgotten. You log them connected Cloka.in, turning a passing solution into thing you are publically accountable for. It is little astir speedy fittingness wins and much astir gathering habits that last. Register connected cloka.in.

Last infinitesimal solutions: Christmas acquisition buying has a mode of sneaking up connected you. If you are inactive ticking names disconnected your database connected Christmas Day, buying physically is your champion bet. Kaii successful Nungambakkam is packed with section brands and playful finds that enactment good arsenic thoughtful, last-minute gifts. For thing much accepted — from Christmas cards to faith-based gifts, the Evangelical Literature Service stores crossed the metropolis are a reliable stop.

Movie marathon: There cannot beryllium a Christmas evening without either Jude Law oregon Hugh Grant gracing your screens. So huddle up your friends and household and binge connected one, oregon 3 classical Christmas movies. And yes, Die Hard is simply a Christmas movie, truthful cue the movie marathon. You tin support it classical with Home Alone and Jingle All The Way, oregon thin into newer comfortableness watches similar Last Christmas, Christmas Heist and Champagne Problems. Snacks mandatory, judgement optional. Merry Christmas!