Christmas 2025: Here's your guide to explore Vasai during the festive season

The moment you step into Vasairsquos Giriz village during December the pace of Christmas shifts Unlike the rush of Mumbai here the holy season unfolds in a leisurely rhythm you would expect in a historic village The East Indian Catholic community of Giriz preserves a heritage distinctly their own that rarely travels beyond what was once called BasseinThe East Indian experienceIn Vasai the festive spirit is communal From the start of December an unsaid yet fiercely spirited competition begins among residents over whose house boasts the best Christmas decor and lighting display Homes are draped in dazzling lights transforming the entire neighbourhoodThe highlight of the season is the tradition of crib hopping Around Christmas residents dressed in their festive best Reindeer ears Santa hats and all head out in cheerful groups Perhaps the most unique and heartwarming tradition is the carolling While carollers in other parts of Mumbai typically sing in English or Marathi in Vasai groups go around singing in the East Indian tongue This preservation of their regional dialect is an emotional experience for the communityWhere to go You can get a look at the cribs in local wadis villages Mustvisit spots include Kokramwadi Digha Kokram Wadi Olumwadi Vasai Koliwada Tivali Wadi and Kiravali For community spirit visit churches like Our Lady of Grace St Joseph Church St Francis Xavier Church better known as Giriz Church or Holy Cross Church for midnight mass and festive atmosphereThe festive tableChristmas in an East Indian home reflects the communityrsquos coastal location and Catholic heritage The flavour profile is rich with pork coconut and regional dishes rarely available elsewhere in Mumbai We had an early Christmas Feast at the Igoreyaa popup by Jevayla Ye in Lahan Giriz Run by Natasha Almeida along with her parents Veera and Reuben and Christmas elf Reena the popup includes a feast at lunch and a tour of their 80yearold East Indian home Jao ShikerThe Almeidas are Wadavs carpenters a cultural subgroup of the East Indian Catholic community Naturally the house features beautifully built wooden wardrobes cabinets and other furniture and Natasha gives a tour of each room mdash from the attic to the porch mdash where she narrates the communityrsquos unique cultural customs and memories Her family has preserved different storage containers in the attic pieces of clothing and jewellery among other heirlooms that sit around the houseWe sample the elaborate Christmas spread thatrsquos sourced from various homechefs within the Vasai East Indian community Apart from East Indian staples like fugias deepfried balloon bread rotya paris egg curry chicken roast and peas pulav there are other pots to dig into The feast demonstrates how East Indian cuisine merges coastal sensibilities with a distinct rich Catholic heritage creating flavours rarely experienced even in the rest of MumbaiFull platters and hearts at the Igoreyaa popup by the Almeida familyThe chicken poha bhujing a VasaiVirar Christmas partystarter is an integral part of the experience ldquoYou canrsquot come to Vasai and not eat bhujingrdquo says Natasha and explains that it has become a part of Christmas feasts in the areaCooking pumpkin and meat together is a unique aspect of East Indian cooking and you can experience this in the pork teprath A tangy curry thanks to the toddy vinegar made from tadgola and spicy due to the East Indian masalaThe pork sorpotel might feel like a staple in any Catholic home And while it is the East Indian sorpotel tends to be a dry preparation smokier due to the masalas and stands apart Desserts include the date roll mazapin milk cream and elichi banana which are traditional Christmas sweets Igoreyaarsquos next feast will be in the New Year on January 18 and you can sample some of these staples and more as it will be an East Indian Varad wedding popupWhen in Vasai eat like a VasaikarGet your hands on a star regional delicacy the Vasai che sukeli bites These are Gaonthi Rajeli bananas that are sundried until their natural sugars caramelise forming a candylike bite Itrsquos a sweet and simple treat requiring no other ingredients and only made in Vasai by the Agashi and Koli communities You can find them in local shops in the Vasai gaothans only