It's Jingle Balle Balle in Punjab

Punjabis love a robust celebration, so there's little chance that their Christmas would be a silent night. Devotees are seen dancing in ecstasy and singing praises of Jesus Christ to the loud, steady beats of the dhol, chimta, tabla and harmonium. Oho MasihAayaZameenTeKhushianHundiyan (Aha! The Saviour has descended on earth and we celebrated), they sing.
"Ours is an ancient religion, but we have incorporated several Punjabi traditions, including the use of our traditional instruments and Punjabi singing," says Daniel B Das, director, socioeconomic development programme and property manager, diocese of Amritsar. The Book of Psalms, authored by King David, was translated into Punjabi by Padri Shabaz Khan of Hoshiarpur. "It is sung around the nation with much pride and devotion," says Das.
Christmas is celebrated by over 5 lakh Christians across Punjab and Chandigarh, but it was only after the 1980s that Punjabi carols gained favour over Hindi. If not for Christmas trees and midnight mass, the celebrations could be confused with Lohri or Baisakhi. Even the Christmas feast is a special langar. "People get together in the same spirit of Punjabi brotherhood, go carol-singing and make Punjabi dishes for the langar," says Das.
"We make kadah (halwa), puri, chole and sabzi," says Gurmeet Masih, 30, who embraced Christianity a year ago. Beating the dhol with his wife on the chimta during Sunday's church service, Gurmeet and his wife Rajjo sing nationalist songs and carols. "After all, we have been part of this culture only. How can we think of deviating from it?" Rajjo asks.
Christmas celebrations in Chandigarh too have been given a Punjabi twist, replete with turbaned Santas, Punjabi carols and langars with "kadah Prasad". Much like Gurpurab celebrations, Christ the King Cathedral in Sector 19 will take out a Shobha Yatra on December 23 with the theme of peace and harmony. Devotees will march to Sector 25 ground where langar for around 5,000 people will be served.
Bishop Ignatius L Mascarenhas says that several non-Christian Punjabis support this initiative. "In the community langar, they help us make rotis as prasad in langar is pure vegetarian.The menu is like that in gurdwaras. They have big roti-making equipment, which they share for Christ mas," says Mascarenhas.
In Ludhiana, the Christian community will be celebrating with Sufi singers instead of carollers on Christmas Eve. "Christmas is celebrated by the entire country and in Ludhiana, it will have the typical Punjabi fervour.
Performances by well-known artists like Lakhwinder Wadali and Kanwar Grewal is the icing on the cake," says Albert Dua, president, United Christian Federation , revealing after Sufi hymns, the singers will move on to regular numbers.
(With inputs from Vaivasvat Venkat)