Leaders of India and Brazil wish their countries' people a Merry Christmas

On Monday, 25 December, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the people of India on Christmas and wished peace and prosperity to all. He also recalled the deeds of Jesus Christ.

"I wish everyone a very Merry Christmas! May this festive season bring joy, peace and prosperity to all. Let us work to create a world where everyone is happy and healthy. Today we also remember the teachings of Christ," Prime Minister Modi said in a message on his official social media account.

In addition, the President and the Vice-President of India also extended greetings to the people of India. In her message, President of India Droupadi Murmu said the Christmas holiday carries a message of love and compassion. It also inspires people to serve humanity selflessly, she said. Murmu added that the teachings of Jesus Christ are always relevant to maintain peace and harmony in society.

Vice-President of India Jagdeep Dhankhar in his message said the life of Jesus Christ embodied the eternal values of compassion, forgiveness, love and empathy. The politician emphasised how important it is to remember these virtues as they enrich the life of every human being.

Brazil is one of the largest Catholic countries in the world, with about 64 per cent of Catholics. The country's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva delivered his Christmas speech on Sunday evening, 24 December, stressing the importance of uniting the Brazilian people to work together to develop the country.

"Let us value truth and dialogue between people. Let the next year be a year of unity for the sake of building an increasingly developed country and for its prosperity. Merry Christmas and the new year 2024 that we dream of," the President said.

In addition, Lula shared the results that the Brazilian government was able to achieve in the past year. The politician mentioned the reduction of deforestation by 68 per cent in November, increased investment in biofuels, as well as the production of wind and solar energy. This is reported by Brasil 247, a partner of TV BRICS.

Every year on December 25, Christians in many countries around the world celebrate Christmas in honour of the birth of Jesus Christ. Together with Catholics, Protestants, who live according to the Gregorian calendar, celebrate one of the most important holidays in Christian culture. Christmas is also celebrated by 11 of the 15 Local Orthodox Churches of the world, which adhere to the New Julian calendar, which coincides with the Gregorian calendar.

On this occasion, people decorate their homes with Christmas trees, paper stars, holly wreaths and exchange gifts. In the BRICS countries, this important day is also given special attention.