Kolkata, Dec. 25 -- For anyone who has grown up in Kolkata, Christmas has been the time of watching people of every faith, surname and neighbourhood spill onto the streets, sharing cake, music and laughter, as though the city itself were hosting the feast on the birthday of Lord Jesus.
Over time, Kolkata has taken this borrowed festival from the British colonial masters and made it unmistakably its own - embraced so fully that it now feels native to the city's rhythm.
In most Indian cities, Christmas is organised by communities. In Kolkata, it is hosted by the city itself.
The fashionable Park Street glows from end to end, the anglo-Indian nest Bow Barracks rings with music and laughter, and markets buzz well past midnight, while cafes a...