Christmas Celebrated With Pomp In AP, Telangana

Despite the panic and uncertainty that has marred much of 2020, Christmas was celebrated with pomp and gaiety across the two Telugu-speaking states today.

Although some churches had cancelled Christmas prayers, carolling and other programs this year due to the ongoing pandemic, the Christian communities in both the states attended prayers and other celebrations at the many churches that remained open.

All the celebrations were organised in compliance with the Covid-19 safety guidelines. Midnight mass was staggered over a period of time to enable social distancing during the event in many churches. Some churches even organised separate prayers for the elderly while some live-streamed the prayers online so that devotees could participate in the festivities from the safety of their own homes.

In Telangana, the celebrations were kicked off at Secunderabad's historic St Mary's Church and the Wesley Church from the early hours of Friday.

Telangana CM K Chandrashekar Rao, Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan, ministers Jagadish Reddy, Satyavathi Rathod and Koppula Eshwar, and Kagaznagar MLA Koneru Konappa extended their greetings to the people of the state on the occasion.

Andhra Pradesh's oldest church, the Medak Cathedral, also saw many devotees attend midnight mass on Thursday. Hundreds of devotees attended the mass held by Pastor A C Solomon Raj.