Prime Minister Wishes a Happy Christmas to the Christian Community in Pakistan

On the eve of the Christian holiday, the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan, has wished a Happy Christmas to the entire Christian community residing in Pakistan.

On Thursday, he took to his official handle on the micro-blogging website, Twitter, and sent out the wish to Christians in the country. He also urged them to stay safe and observe all coronavirus SOPs, as the country is once again plagued by an alarming rise in the number of coronavirus cases. 

Hundreds of millions of Christians all over the world mark the 25th of December as the birthday of Christ. The Christian community residing in Pakistan has been frequenting shopping malls, especially in the past few days, to buy gifts and new clothes to celebrate the festival with their loved ones. 

The community has also not let the second wave of the disease put a damper on their most awaited holiday of the year. They have decorated their houses with colorful lights and Christmas trees. In addition, numerous events related to the celebration have also been organized in different locations of the country. 

On the eve of the festival, 97 churches finished Christmas preparations in the provincial capital of Pakistan. These included different types of churches, such as those for Catholics, Protestants, and a couple of other missionary churches. 

The biggest ceremony for the Catholic school of thought was organized in the city of Lahore, at the Sacred Heart Cathedral, located on Lawrence Road. On the other hand, the largest event for the Protestants was scheduled to be held at the Cathedral Church that sits on Mall Road. 

Similar Christmas events to mark the holiday were organized at Naulakha Church, St Anthony’s Church, and various others. Different Christian leaders held prayers in these places of worship to pray for the safety and prosperity of the country. 

A couple of days ago, the Christian community in Islamabad had started decorating the evergreen coniferous tree. This was to mark the biggest occasion of the year, Christmas, in a befitting manner. Popular hotels and malls in the federal capital of the country also placed Christmas trees in their foyers to share happiness with the Christian citizens, as well as to lure visitors. 

A Christmas tree is the main symbol of the celebrations of the festival. It is a sign that the community uses to welcome Santa Claus. Additionally, it adds color to celebrations with its decorative attractive look. The members of the Christian community, therefore, decorate a real or artificial evergreen coniferous tree, associated with the festival of Christmas.

Moreover, they deck the tree with different ornaments, such as small bells painted silver or gold, baubles, pine cones, candies, apples, tinsel, stars of different sizes and shapes, along with balloons made out of metal, ceramic, glass, and wood. Usually, a star and angel is placed at the top of the Christmas tree to represent the host of angels.