Hi folks!
In Ageless Feud, Manik visits Park Street several times as it contains one of the gateways to Patala. During one of these visits, he remarks on the celebration of Christmas on Park Street. Since the book itself doesn’t take place at Christmas time, I thought I could take all of you on a little trip to Christmas or “Boro Din” (Big Day) on Park Street.
Park Street is one of the oldest Anglo-Indian localities of Kolkata (see my post on White, Black, and South Kolkata) and therefore, has always been an important part of Christmas celebrations here, especially with St Paul’s Cathedral so close by. It is not just a festival of Christians, though. In Kolkata, Christmas is a festival that is embraced and celebrated by all! The celebrations became official in 2011 with the inception of the Kolkata Christmas Festival (KCF) by the Tourism Department of the West Bengal Govt. The KCF takes place from mid-December to New Year, turning Park Street and nearby areas into an open-air carnival zone.
The core of the festival is at Allen Park on Park Street (whose official name is Mother Teresa Sarani). This is where you can enjoy live musical performances and choir performances from 5:30 in the evening onwards. Artists and bands like Usha Uthup, Barefoot, Krosswindz, and Orient Express have performed there over the years, as have choirs like Dr Graham’s Homes School and Calcutta Symphony Orchestra. The city’s largest public Christmas tree is placed near Mother Teresa’s statue for Christmas celebrations. Park Street becomes a walk-only zone on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve, and New Year’s Day to ensure that pedestrians can enjoy themselves to the hilt.
One of the highlights of the KCF is the dazzling themed lighting that turns the area into a City of Lights. Famous lighting artisans from Chandannagar design and set up the themed lighting canopy that stretches across Park Street that will make your jaw fall open. Originally, it extended from St Xavier’s College to Jawaharlal Nehru Road. In recent years, as the popularity of the KCF has grown, the lighting zone has been increased. It now has offshoots that stretch till St Paul’s Cathedral on Cathedral Road, an offshoot of Jawaharlal Nehru Road, till Mullick Bazar Crossing on Park Street, and till Vardaan Market on Camac Street.
Another highlight of the KCF is the grand Christmas Parade in which more than 500 schoolkids participate. A two-hour spectacle, it includes several colourful floats and Santa Clauses along with local bands, carol groups, and festively dressed marchers. There is also a buzzing Christmas Bazaar where you can pick up all sorts of fun items and trinkets as well as popular Christmas items like Santa hats, devil horns, or red balloons.
What is a Bengali festival without finger-licking delectables? During the KCF, over 40 food stalls are set up at Allen Park, selling everything from Goan food to Chinese favourites to Anglo-Indian delicacies. You will get delicious eatables in all shapes, sizes, and flavours, from homemade fruitcakes to pork momos, and from grape wine to savoury crepes called panthras. And if you’re in the mood for something a little more elevated, there are the historic eateries of Park Street that have stood for decades if not centuries—Flury’s, Peter Cat, Mocambo, and Trincas.
If this combination of colonial heritage and Bengali exuberance is a little too heady for you, you can always head to nearby Anglo-Indian localities for a quieter celebration. There’s Bow Barracks, a red-brick enclave only 2 kms away from Park Street. Here, Santa Clause arrives in a hand-pulled rickshaw (or at least, used to), and people sell delicious eatables like baked goods and homemade wine from their balconies. The homes and streets are lit with fairy lights, and you can enjoy community carols, which create a homely yet festive atmosphere.
Then there’s the famed Midnight Mass at St Paul’s Cathedral, which is attended by thousands from across the world. This Indo-Gothic monument was the first ever Anglican cathedral in Asia and has stood for almost two centuries. During Midnight Mass, you can enjoy the serene yet glorious sight of the Cathedral lit up with candles. It features hymns, prayers, and readings, offering a spiritual and reverent counterpoint to the jubilant festivities along Park Street.
Park Street is a wonderful place to visit any time of the year, especially if you are interested in history or heritage sights or good food. But during Christmas it turns into a veritable street festival of fantastical proportions that truly embody the Bengali love for celebrations. So, if you are planning to visit Kolkata and the Durga Puja insanity is not something you are willing to tackle, Christmas might be a great option for you to visit. Between the cool weather and warm jubilation on Park Street, you will have a vacation to remember.
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This post is a part of Blogchatter A2Z Challenge 2026
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