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Jingle bells, carols dominate Christmas eve

GUWAHATI: Amid a pinching cold wave sounds of jingle bells and midnight carols from the churches across Assam have mingled in the air on the Christmas evening on Sunday.

Churches are teeming with the people of all stages and ages to participate in the midnight carols defying dense fogs.

In Guwahati, Christians in large number thronged the Old Church in Christian Basti, Baptist Church in Panbazar and Don Bosco with traditional fervour.

"Its the time moment of family gatherings since we have midnight mass at the church just before celebrations for the birthday of Jesus Christ. The mass is considered to be the most important Church service," said David Green, a local Christian resident of Ganeshguri.

Princy Dass, a college girl in Jorhat said," the Jesus was born at the midnight of 25th December and the significance of celebrating Christmas Eve has its roots."

Albert Simon, who teaches at a Christian school in Dibrugarh said," Carol singing is an inevitable part of mid-night masses on Christmas Eve. The carol is part of the Midnight Mass Communion Service today." Apart from the churches, the Christian educational institutes and hospitals are also gearing up to celebrate the festival with huge pomp and zeal.

Reports of Christmas evening are pouring in from Kokrajhar, Baska, Chirang,Udalguri, Tinsukia, Golaghat, Dibrugarh, Sivasagar, Nagaon, Morigaon, Silchar, Karimganj, Hailakandi, Dima Hasao, Sonitpur, Karbi Anglong, Dhemaji, Lakhimpur, Barpeta, Nalbari. www.assamtimes.org also wishes its contributors, correspondents, writers, visitors and well wishers a happy Christmas.

NAMRUP CORRESPONDENT AKSHYAY Pranab KALITA ADDS: Namrup also soaks in the joy of Christmas evening with the Christians along with many non Christian lots joined the midnight carols in the Union Church.

Talking to www.assamtimes.org, the church officials said thr church premises is packed with the visitors who thronged in the afternoon. He hoped more people would participate in Monday's special prayer.

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