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Christmas 2026 in Trivandrum
1 events matching right now across Thiruvananthapuram — mostly workshop (1).
Christmas 2026 falls on Friday 25 December, a public holiday in Kerala, and Thiruvananthapuram's sizeable Christian community makes it one of the most visible festivals of the year. Paper stars go up over shopfronts and homes from early December, and the city's big churches hold midnight services on Christmas Eve: St Joseph's Cathedral at Palayam, the CSI Mateer Memorial Church in the LMS compound, St Mary's Cathedral at Pattom and the Madre de Deus church at Vettucaud on the coast. Choirs and the YMCA run carol evenings in the two weeks before, bakeries hold cake-mixing events and plum cake fairs, and schools and parishes stage nativity plays and Christmas bazaars. Lulu Mall and Mall of Travancore put up trees and run Santa meet-and-greets and kids' workshops, and hotels in the city and at Kovalam serve Christmas Eve dinners and brunches. In recent years the Tourism Department has also dressed Kanakakunnu Palace with a year-end flower show and lights; the 2026 dates were not announced at the time of writing. The festival overlaps with the last days of IFFK week and the start of peak season on the beaches. This page lists carol nights, Christmas markets, workshops and festive dinners across Thiruvananthapuram.
Good to know
- Midnight mass begins late on 24 December and churches fill well before it starts. Reach Palayam or Pattom by 10.30 pm and expect traffic diversions around the cathedrals.
- Hotel Christmas Eve dinners and brunches need advance booking; menus are usually announced in the first half of December.
- In recent years Kerala has limited crackers at Christmas to a short window around midnight. Check the 2026 order.
- Mall events are busiest between 5 and 9 pm on the weekend before Christmas. Go on a weekday afternoon with small children.
- Kovalam and Varkala are at their most crowded from 24 December to 1 January, so book stays early.
Frequently asked questions
Where is midnight mass held in Thiruvananthapuram?
Most large churches hold a Christmas Eve service, including St Joseph's Cathedral at Palayam, the CSI Mateer Memorial Church in the LMS compound, St Mary's Cathedral at Pattom and the Madre de Deus church at Vettucaud.
Is Christmas a public holiday in Kerala?
Yes. Christmas Day, Friday 25 December 2026, is a public holiday.
Are there Christmas markets in Thiruvananthapuram?
Parishes, schools and women's groups run Christmas bazaars and cake fairs in December, and the malls host festive pop-ups. Confirmed events appear in the listings on this page.
Is there a Christmas flower show at Kanakakunnu?
The Tourism Department has run a year-end flower show and illumination at Kanakakunnu Palace in recent years. Dates for 2026 had not been announced when this page was written.
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