Religious ceremonies, events mark Christmas in Goa
HERALD NEWS BUREAU
PANJIM, DEC 25
Various religious ceremonies and social events were organised all over the State to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ on Christmas Day.
Churches, chapels and religious institutions in the archdiocese celebrated the midnight mass, which was largely attended by the Catholic faithful with traditional fervour.
Colourfully decorated cribs, set up either inside or outside the churches and chapels, sought to depict the essence of Christmas.
The religious ceremonies were followed by a get-together at many churches and chapels, where people exchanged greetings and attended minor cultural programmes.
Masses were also celebrated on Saturday morning, while many Catholics later exchanged traditional sweets among neighbours and relatives during the day.
Besides religious ceremonies, a number of private and public social events, such as dances and beat shows, were organised at various hotels and other open-air venues in the State.
Coffee outlets, ice cream parlours, many restaurants and other food outlets as well as some establishments had extended their timings at night to cater to the midnight crowd.
In a bid to monitor the rush traffic at night, police had set up various pickets along the highways, major roads and in cities.
Many mobile network services were stretched to the limit, as text messages and telephone calls were made to exchange Christmas greetings.
Emails, social networking websites and online chatting services were also a popular mode on the internet to wish relatives and friends on the occasion of Christmas.
