Christmas marked in Nepal with much fanfare

Many parts of the globe are celebrating Christmas with snowfall and dip in the mercury, on the other hand, Nepalese celebrated it with cool weather and a warm sunny day. Various programs were organized in the capital Kathmandu and other cities of the country to mark the birth anniversary of Christian's revered lord Jesus Christ. Like every year, a special program was organized at the Assumption Church (Catholic Church) located in Kathmandu to mark the festival. Hundreds of Christians were present during the celebration singing carols and wishing each other and exchanging greetings saying "Merry Christmas". Talking to Xinhua on Sunday, Father Robin of the Assumption Church said that Christmas is the time of joy, time of celebration and time to be one with God. "The celebration is more like singing carols in Nepali language, preparing delicious Nepali foods and sharing it in families and community," said the Father. He added that we do worship, share gifts among families and celebrate it with much joy and respect. However, in the Church there were many foreign nationals who have been enjoying Christmas in Nepal away from their hometowns. Mary Auddy, an Indian national, who has been residing in Nepal for 25 years, said that her Christmas time is to meet friends, relatives, holding parties and having dinners together. Adam Whitefield from Australia told Xinhua that he is missing his family in his hometown, saying that he already spent two Christmas here in Nepal. Whitefield has been working at World Vision International Nepal for a year. He added that he loves spending Christmas here because every body gives him greeting cards and gifts and this is really amusing him. There are now around 2 million Christians in Nepal but among them there are only 7,000 Catholic Christians. However, according to the population census of Nepal held in 2001, the number of Christian was only 100,000. In the nation, Christmas is very popular for Non-Christians as many youngsters find it another reason for shopping, partying and meeting friends. Moreover, the government has announced an official holiday in Nepal on the Christmas day.