Bathed in Yuletide spirit, people in Hyderabad celebrate Christmas

Churches in Secunderabad, Hyderabad were packed to the rafters and reverberated with carols rendered by choir groups

Hyderabad: Reflecting the Yuletide spirit of giving, sharing and celebrating with loved ones, families in Hyderabad celebrated Christmas with joy and revelry on Wednesday.

Amidst the festive atmosphere and joyous feelings of the Christmas season, churches in Secunderabad and Hyderabad were literally packed to the rafters and reverberated with carols rendered by choir groups.

The specially scheduled midnight mass of Tuesday at decked-up churches was a major draw, as hundreds of devotees lined up to participate and

witness the solemn and festive celebrations of the birth of Jesus.

From Wednesday morning onwards, hundreds of families started to make a beeline to churches in Secunderabad and Hyderabad to attend special mass and greet each other on the occasion of Christmas.

The traditional century-old churches of Secunderabad and Hyderabad, including All Saints Church in Trimulgherry, Holy Trinity Church in Bolarum, Church of St Johns the Baptist in East Marredpally, St Mary’s Church Basilica on SD Road, St George’s Church in Basheerbagh and St Joseph’s Cathedral in Gunfoundry, were crowded as families, attired in their best, thronged to participate in the day-long mass and wish each other.

The Christmas spirit was all pervading and not just limited to churches.

Malls, commercial establishments, private offices and individual homes were tastefully decorated.

Homes were also decorated with Christmas trees, wreaths and lights strung on balconies along with the star.

Inside the churches, Nativity scenes, depicting the birth of Jesus, were tastefully recreated and placed at prominent locations.