Forum: hinduism.stackexchange.com
Tags: <culture><tradition><other-religions><christianity>
Title: Why and how do Hindus celebrate Christmas?
Question: Why and how do (some) Hindus celebrate Christmas?  What have any modern Hindu Gurus commented on this practice?   EDIT  I don't think this is an opinion-based question. From  What types of questions should I avoid asking?  I think this fits into constructive subjective questions: "inspire answers that explain  why  and  how "

Answers:
sents: text: The Ramakrishna Mission celebrates Christmas with a puja.
text: Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and Swami Vivekananda looked upon Jesus Christ as one of the incarnations of God.
text: Most of the centers have some type of puja or recognition of Christmas as the celebration of Jesus's birth.
text: See - http://media.belurmath.org/festival-calendar-of-belur-math-for-2016-17-634
answer_details: author: hinduism.stackexchange.com/users/882/Swami Vishwananda
score: 6
sents: text: I think that orthodox Hindus do not celebrate Christmas. ...
text: And that would mean that those Hindus who do celebrate Christmas are not orthodox Hindus.
text: orthodox -- conforming to what is generally or traditionally accepted as right or true; established and approved; strictly keeping to traditional doctrine and ritual
answer_details: author: hinduism.stackexchange.com/users/2790/brahma jijnasa
score: 5
sents: text: The Sri Sathya Sai Ashram celebrates Christmas every year in a grand manner.
text: The previous evening usually comprises a program by an International Music Orchestra, that plays Christmas Carols.
text: On Christmas Morning, (proper) Christians and other Hindu devotees from all over the world and India, go in a candle procession around the Ashram.
text: Christmas evening sometimes has a play or cultural program on the life and message of Jesus Christ, or a music program by an international artist.
text: The Ashram is decorated colorfully with stars, lights etc.
text: In the last few years, every year, a different country is given charge of the grand decoration activity.
text: Devotees from that country decorate the ashram with volunteers.
text: When Sri Sathya Sai Baba was alive, he gave a discourse on Christmas every year, mentioning the good qualities to be learnt from Christ's life and his relationship with God.
text: The celebrations every year, make hardly any distinction between Hindus residing Abroad/India and overseas citizens/
text: born christians, in terms of participation.
text: The activities often begin with a chant of Omkar and end with a chant of Samastha Loka Sukino Bhavanthu and Om Shanthi as on the other Hindu festival days.
text: http://www.srisathyasai.org.in/pages/ashraminfo/Christmas.htm http://media.radiosai.org/journals/vol_13/01DEC15/Christmas-Celebrations-at-Prasanthi-Nilayam-2015.htm
answer_details: author: hinduism.stackexchange.com/users/4070/Whirl Mind
score: 3
sents: text: Actually, it's opinion based question.
text: Because you won't be able to accept any answer as correct.
text: However, the answers can be interesting.
text: Hence leaving upto community, if it should be closed or not.
text: I am from a very specialized section of Hinduism: Hindu
text: > Vaishnava
text: > Krishna > Pre-tennage version (Bal swaroop)
text: > ThAkorji / ShrinAthji
text: Though the family is very conservative, when it comes to Christmas, they are liberal.
text: It's celebrated something like this: Why .
text: No single reason.
text: Generally in India, I think English schooling has more to do with why people celebrate Christmas.
text: Moreover, culturally we were influenced by the British.
text: Many people believe Jesus as an incarnation of Vishnu as well & many don't.
text: Source: Is Jesus an avatar of Lord Vishnu?
answer_details: author: hinduism.stackexchange.com/users/1049/iammilind
score: 2
sents: text: I think Hinduism has a history of adopting foreign gods from a very early period.
text: There is nothing wrong with this.
text: The saguna brahman is inexhaustible and can therefore manifest in all sorts of ways.
text: That is why it is an entirely orthodox Hindu practice to consider Jesus a manifestation of the Godhead.
text: Most Hindus who do celebrate Christmas do not celebrate it like Christians do .
text: They use Hindu ritual idioms to do so.
text: If any Hindu Acharya can be considered an avatar by his pupils and their descendants, why not do the same with Jesus Christ?
text: After all, he is just another Bhakti Yoga teacher.
text: Shri Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda, for example, went quite far in the direction of integrating Jesus Christ into Hinduism (Hence the Christmas celebrations at Ramakrishna Maths)
text: Here are a few links: http://www.spiritualbee.com/posts/sri-ramakrishna-vision-of-jesus/ https://swamishivapadananda.typepad.com/swami_shivapadananda/2010/11/jesus-ramakrishna-and-avatars.html https://vedanta.org/what-is-vedanta/the-avatar-god-in-human-form/
answer_details: author: hinduism.stackexchange.com/users/16716/fi11222
score: 1

Summary of the answers:
S1: Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and Swami Vivekananda looked upon Jesus Christ as one of the incarnations of God. In general, India has been influenced by the British and has British schooling. Hinduism also has the tradition of adopting foreign gods from a very early time. Hindus who do celebrate Christmas so not do so in the same way as Christians.
Many centres celebrate Christmas with a puja or a recognition of Christmas as a celebration of Jesus' birth. Christmas Eve at the Ramakrishna Mission has a carol service and on Christmas morning, Christians and Hindus take part in a candle procession. There is sometimes a play on Christmas evening based on the life of Jesus or music. The Ashram is decorated with stars and lights, etc. When Sri Sathya Sai Baba was alive, he gave a discourse on Christmas every year, mentioning the good qualities to be learnt from Christ's life and his relationship with God. Festivities often begin with a chant of Omkar and end with a chant of Samastha Loka Sukino Bhavanthu and Om Shanthi, as on the other Hindu festival days.   Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and Swami Vivekananda looked upon Jesus Christ as one of the incarnations of God. They even went a log way towards integrating Jesus Christ into Hinduism (Hence the Christmas celebrations at Ramakrishna Maths). Generally in India, English schooling may have more to do with why people celebrate Christmas due to the cultural influence of the British, but most Hindus who do celebrate Christmas do not celebrate it  like Christians do.