Gurgaon decks up on Christmas Day, eateries, malls chock-a-block

Revellers flocked to popular city landmarks to celebrate Christmas

The city was bathed in Yuletide spirit on Christmas Day, as churches drew a steady stream of devotees and eateries and shopping malls registered record footfall. Residents and students, too, immersed in the festivities, singing carols and staging ‘The Three Wise Men’, a Christmas play, at the Church of Epiphany in the Civil Lines area.

Devotees seek blessings during a prayer service at the Church of Epiphany in Gurgaon on Christmas Day. (Parveen Kumar/HT PHOTO)

Candles were lit in churches, as little ones, dressed as Santa Claus, danced to ‘Jingle Bells’. People, across faiths, hit the streets in their best and brightest, ushering in Christmas.

“This day is about happy homecoming and celebrating with your loved ones,” Rosemary Thomas, a city resident said as she ushered in Christmas with her family.

While churches were decked up to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, shopping malls, too, were awash in festive colours. At Malls located on MG Road, residents flocked to Christmas bazaars to shop to their hearts’ content.

Residents at Vatika India Next, Sector 83, and Crescent Park, Vatika City, Sector 49 organised a host of events to celebrate Christmas.

The upscale Galleria market in DLF City Phase-4 also organised a Christmas market where a man, dressed as Santa Claus, handed goodies to visitors.

“The weather was pleasant and we had a gala time with family and friends,” Samikhya Sharma, a resident of DLF Phase-3, said.

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Residents also took part in a safety parade with Santa which was organised by the Gurgaon police. The initiative was launched by DCP (traffic) Deepak Gahlawat from the police booth on MG Road and road safety officers, dressed as Santa Claus, went about raising awareness on road safety.

The DLF CyberHub, too, was lit up on the day, as Grand Winter Show, a three-day festive event, opened. The city’s go-to hang out zone turned into a winter wonderland, with flash mobs, jugglers, unicyclists, choirs, Santa meets and greets, Disney mascots, candy floss,character parades and dance performances adding to the festive mood. The area was decked up in red, white and green and will also host an elegant lifestyle exhibition and auto show over the next few days.