Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed mostly on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year, it is prepared for by the season of Advent or Nativity Fast and is prolonged by the Octave of Christmas and further by the season of Christmastide. Christmas Day is a public holiday in many of the world s nations is celebrated culturally by many non-Christian people and is an integral part of the Christmas and holiday season. Kolkata Christmas Festival is held annually during the month of December in Kolkata on Park Street, which is one of the largest dedicated Christmas carnivals in India. In this festival various Bands and choir groups perform on the stage at Allen Park on Park Street. A two-hour Christmas Parade is also organized on one of the days in which allows around 500 school children to participate. In addition to Kolkata s celebration, it is also celebrated at prominent churches in Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Kurseong, Siliguri, Jalpaiguri, Chandannagar, Bandel, Krishnanagar and Baruipur.