Christianity originated in Palestine two thousand years ago. The life and teachings of Jesus Christ, the incarnation of the Son, form the center of Christian belief and are recorded in the New Testament of the Bible, which is a Christian Holy book. Christianity came to India in 52 AD. Twenty years after the crucifixion of Christ, one of his apostles, St. Thomas, is said to have landed on the Malabar Coast. He established a few churches and converted a number of local inhabitants in Kerala. This was the first Christian settlement - the Syrian Church. Today the `Syrian Christians` form the oldest Christian community in India.

As a result of differing interpretations of Christian scripture, different denominations have sprung up, including the Church of England, the Roman Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church and many others. The most important Christian festivals are: Lent, Easter and Christmas, which have a lot of fasts and prayers, since these different occasions are of mourning, devotion and joy. The festivals are celebrated according to the religious significance of the days. The celebrations are followed with great enthusiasm. People observe time worn customs and traditions associated with each festival. Carols, dances, midnight mass and preparation of dishes for the Christmas feast enliven the nights. Goa is special where Christianity is concerned. Goan celebrations have spontaneity of their own. Apart from the regular Christian festivals, the churches in Goa observe days particular to them with masses, feasts and processions. Christians follow the Gregorian calendar. Some of the prominent Christian festivals include Christmas, Holy Week along with Virgin Mary Feast & St.Thomas Mount Feast.