Pune welcomed Christmas Eve with a vibrant and bustling energy on Wednesday night, as residents and visitors flooded popular spots across the city to celebrate the festive occasion.
Festive Streets and Dining Delights
The city's iconic stretches, MG Road and FC Road, transformed into lively corridors filled with people. The areas were dotted with festive symbols like Santa caps, blinking headbands, and balloon sellers weaving through families and groups of friends. While these roads saw the heaviest footfall, other neighborhoods like Koregaon Park, Balewadi High Street, and Viman Nagar also experienced steady streams of evening strollers and late-night diners.
Christmas Eve proved to be one of the busiest nights for dining out in recent memory. Restaurants in areas such as Aundh, Kalyani Nagar, and Baner were pushed to their limits, with long queues forming outside popular eateries. Bars and clubs were equally packed, hosting special Christmas parties featuring DJs, live bands, and themed menus that blended holiday classics with regular favorites.
Spiritual Gatherings and Family Traditions
For many, the true essence of the evening was found in spiritual observance. Churches across Pune reported a significant rise in attendance for midnight mass services. To manage the rush, several parishes began services from around 9:30 PM. The older churches in the Camp area were especially packed, with volunteers guiding families through narrow aisles as choir rehearsals and hymns spilled onto the streets.
Attendees shared what the tradition means to them. Anita Rodrigues, who attended mass at St Patrick's Cathedral, said the joy lies in meeting everyone dressed in their festive best and catching up with people seen only once a year. Kevin D'Souza, visiting St Mary's with his extended family, described it as their annual reset—a reminder of the festival's core meaning amidst a hectic year, to be followed by a quiet Christmas Day at home with gifts, food, and family games.
Parties, Student Fun, and Christmas Day Plans
Festive celebrations took various forms across the city. On FC Road, the atmosphere was driven by a student-heavy crowd lingering over desserts and making impulse purchases under glowing decorations. Shreya Karandikar, out with friends, summed up the casual plan: "We just walk, eat, laugh."
Meanwhile, organized parties drew large crowds. At the Turf Club, an event by The Poona Cartel featured elaborate decor and a high-energy program. Organizer Sasha Anand noted a lively atmosphere with singing, dancing, and a festive spread including roast chicken, apple pie, and plum cake alongside Indian kebabs.
As Christmas Day dawned, plans varied. A heritage walk through Camp, organized by Koustabh Vanarese of Pune with KV and starting at 8:30 AM from Zero Stone, aimed to explore the city's layered festive traditions, ending with plum cake and coffee. While many families planned quiet time at home, visits to malls, or movies, some professionals had to report for duty, with offices arranging small celebrations, Secret Santa exchanges, and games to keep the spirit alive.
