The Ultimate Guide To Celebrating Christmas

When it comes to Christmas trees, we're fans of keeping 'em real, serene and fresh! So, ditching the conventional and usual artificial trees, we contacted multiple nurseries across the city which stock real Christmas trees called Araucaria (its botanical name).

We found Lila Nursery in Santacruz, and its been around for approximately 40 years. With the sole intention of making Mumbai greener and cleaner, they stock all sorts of plants that you can't possibly imagine. This year too, like always, they have stocked up on the beautiful and fresh Araucaria trees. The owner Gopal tells us that they are sourced from Bangalore every year. You'll get the trees in various sizes- 2ft, 4ft, 6ft and 8ft.

Price: INR 350 (for 2 ft) onward 

What's More: They also sell fruits and accessories like pots to make sure that their customers always have a wholesome experience while they shop. 

Located at Pali Naka in Bandra, Floraland Nursery sells some really gorgeous Christmas trees for your home. Set up all the way back in 1989 by a certain Ashok Shah, this shop is filled with customers during peak season. They usually stock up their store with real Christmas trees during the first week of December. Make sure you visit early to avoid the rush, and to get the best tree for yourself.

Price: INR 350 and upwards for a 2 ft tall Christmas tree.

What's More: They also sell a variety of other plants, flowers, and services like landscaping, providing a gardener, bamboo arrangement 

This nursery in Malad West has been spreading greenery since the 1940s. Apart from exotic plants, they cater to all your gardening needs. Count on them for getting a magic grass carpet, garden furniture and garden maintenance services. They've got Christmas trees starting from 2 ft, and they're not too expensive either. 

Price: INR 1,200 onward

What's More: At Green Lands, you can hire plants, and a gardener too. 

Need more options? Here's a comprehensive list of top nurseries to buy the perfect Christmas tree this season.

What's a Christmas tree or the Christmas season without hoarding cute decor? Glittery stars, snowballs, stockings, Santa hats and caps, reindeer statues - these pretty little things are enough to deck up your entire abode and transform it into a dreamy paradise. While Seven and Seven in Bandra is our go-to for all things Chirstmas-y and festive, there are a few others across the city which locals seem to trust the most. Happy shopping!

A popular party accessory store, this store should be your ultimate destination for festive decor too. And it's pretty cost-effective too. Grab classic Christmas decor including Christmas tree ornaments, Christmas-themed cutlery and party glasses, Santa cap-themed toothpicks, Santa caps, reindeer themed headbands, stockings and lots more. 

For more options here's a list of the best stores in Mumbai for Christmas decorations. 

For those of you who've always been curious about what it's like to experience Midnight Mass, choir performances and look at the beautiful decorations, we've drawn up a list of churches you've got to visit during Christmas Eve. So here's where to head when it's the most magical time of the year! Convince a few friends, and head out with a car so you can drive past the many localities to cover, with ease. Make sure you cover Powai, Mahim, Bandra and Malad!

Fondly known to the locals as the Afghan Church, this beautiful Colaba Church that was built by the British has a really charming Christmas Eve mass with hundreds of people flocking to it dressed in their best attire. The mass begins at 10.30 pm with a performance by the Wild Voices Choir singing their classic Christmas carols. Get there early to experience the beauty and magic of Christmas, as it's the season to be merry and joyful.

This beautiful, tall, Gothic-style church was inspired by the Canterbury Cathedral of England. Present at its current location since 1910, Gloria Church is as magical as it gets on Christmas Eve. Its towers are among the tallest in the city, and this church makes for a splendid setting to ring in the Christmas festivities. At least 1,000 people from the area join in for the midnight mass, irrespective of faith.

This iconic Bandra landmark (also known as Mount Mary Church) overlooking the sea from atop a hill is not to be missed this year, or any year. Go here on the eve of Christmas, where the crowd gathers here until late. Wait for the wonderful chiming of the Northern Tower bells and sing along all the classics with your fellow attendees. The service begins at 11 pm, with carol singing beginning immediately. 

That's not all! Here's a list of churches you should visit in Mumbai for Christmas.

Every year, we create several lists to ensure you don’t come unstuck while you’re shopping for gifts. Head here for our amazing Gift Guides! Christmas is all about spreading joy, happiness and positive vibes, right? And what's a better way to do it than to get your loved ones (and strangers) a thoughtful gift? And let's not forget the annual workplace ritual of Secret Santa! From quirky stationery options to subscription boxes and random cute stuff - we trust these gift shops across Mumbai when it comes to gifting our loved ones. 

Get a DIY belt design kit, gorgeous handcrafted journals, a dual-colour leather wallet, or leather duffle bags – unique leather products designed with a nuance at Nappa Dori’s flagship store in Colaba. The prices here tend to aim for the roof, so visit it when the bank’s well-stocked. They also have detailed country and world maps that a traveller will appreciate. 

Popular For: Pure leather products. 

Artstation is a stationery haven, and who doesn’t like to be gifted stationery? They have an extensive collection of all types of fancy paints, lovely embellishments, paintbrushes and fun stuff like posters and trinkets. What I loved the most, though is their collection of water bottles.

Popular For: Stationery 

We found a shop from our Pinterest dreams in CultR Story, Versova. This store houses all things eclectic – be it a duck-shaped plant pot, dream catchers, quirky cushion covers, wall hangings, maps from around the world, and more. The items come from around the world and settle here for you to buy. 

Popular For: Home decor and essentials. 

Here are more gift shops for you to check out!  Plus, why not expand your circle and send gifts to those in need? These organisations in Mumbai will gladly accept any donations and distribute them to the poor, the destitute and the underprivileged.

Christmas means Christmas goodies, cookies, brownies and a hearty Christmas cake. While there are tons of iconic bakeries across the city, you can also opt for professional and well-established home bakers who followed their hearts to bake sweet treats and slowly won our hearts, while on it. For everyone who wants cookies, cakes, pastries and other desserts made with love, warmth and truckloads of creativity, here are some home bakers in Mumbai to turn to.

Popular for the candy floss cakes, Baking Blunders has been a household name for dessert lovers. Baking Blunders is where you need to head to when you need a cake that is unique, special and super delicious. They never repeat a design, and their unique presentations are definitely a show stopper at every party.

What Makes It Awesome: The candy floss cake is an instant hit, and is served in many offbeat flavours like paan, raw mango, butterscotch, vanilla, tangy lime, lychee and green apple. They also bake cookies, brownies and donuts. 

Known for their grammable cupcakes, this home bakery was kickstarted by a passionate baker - Khushi - who whips some lovely looking goodies which will ensure your 'feed your feed'. Expect lots of pastels and rose-themed designs. 

What Makes It Awesome: her incredible plating and baking art. 

Shell Out: Starts at INR 500 and upwards. 

P.S: They also bake keto pizza bases. 

This SoBo-based home baker is known for her indulgent gooey brownies, an instant hit with everyone who eats them. You can also order gluten free brownies. Other than brownies, you can order cakes, cookies and a whole range of other sweet treats from Baked by Ree. 

What Makes It Awesome: The double chocolate fudge brownie, white magic brownie and millionaire brownie are hotsellers, while the strawberry Nutella cake also comes highly recommended.

Shell Out: INR 400 onward

P.S: They even bake treats for your furry friends!

The list obviously doesn’t stop here; head here for some of the best bakers in town! 

Nothing says Christmas like a good old-fashioned plum cake. While there are a lot of options for sweet treats available, the comforting, cozy and warm Christmas feeling is only complete with traditional and authentic plum cake. 

American Express Bakery is iconic, it has been around for 100+ years - the Carvalho family has managed to make sure this one stays on everyone’s bucket lists all year. They have a fun variation - they do a Plum Pudding! 

Price: INR 530 for 500gm plum cake and INR 1060 for 1kg. 

This hole-in-the-wall bakery in Kalina has legendary plum cakes, and has been around for 150 years! They offer variants with and without eggs. Expect a Rich Plum Cake, that you and everyone on the table will love!

Price: INR 180 for 400gm plum cake and INR 360 for 800gm plum cake

For more amazing bakeries, head here.

We love Christmas for two reasons - one, for the celebrations and festivities that has everyone celebrating life, with joy and cheer all around. And second, mulled wine, the traditional festive drink. Here’s our list of favourite places to celebrate the spirit of Christmas with a glass of mulled wine.

When this place opened up, it was clearly all the rage for dates. It’s a classic example of an all-day space, and the menu reflects just that. They’re bringing back mulled wine like they do every year! We believe they've also got a lovely chocolate wine if you’re feeling truly experimental.

CinCin’s a lovely place to be all year, but during Christmas, we think Italian food becomes all the more magical! Their Christmas menu covers a range of appetizers, mains, and cocktails, and it’s no surprise they’ve got their mulled wine on lock. Head here for a glass after a hectic day of work, if your office is close to BKC!

Toast & Tonic has an interesting list of heady cocktails all year round, and come Christmas, the mulled wine sangria is an instant hit. Prepared by combining traditional Christmas mulled wine with the fruitier notes of a sangria, the mulled wine here is like a warm hug on a cold winter day. 

‘Tis also the time of the year when it’s totally okay to watch and rewatch the cheesiest movies made by mankind. We love to hate them, but they’re so darn comforting. Lucky for you, we’ve drawn up an exhaustive list. The crew may or may not have watched and rewatched these a million times.