| Buon Natale | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Cultural festival |
| Dates | December–January |
| Location(s) | Thrissur City,Kerala |
| Years active | 2013 – present |
| Next event | 27 December 2025 |
Buon Natale is thecultural festival organized by theThrissur Archdiocese and Thrissur Citizenry in association withChristmas celebration. It is held at the premises ofThrissur city inKerala every year from 2013. Buon Natale procession entered theGuinness World Records in 2014 for having the maximum number of people dressed up as Santa Claus.[1][2][3][4] This event was started to raise charitable funds along with the celebrations.[5][6]
The Buon Natale was first conducted by the Thrissur Archdiocese in 2013.[7][8] This was flagged of by former president ofIndia,A.P.J. Abdul Kalam.[9] 5,000 Santa Clauses and 2,000 angels was part of this cultural event.[10] On 27 December 2014 this event had the participation of 18,112 number Santa Clauses and won the Guinness World Records.[1][4] Due toCOVID-19 pandemic there were no celebrations in the year 2020 and 2021.
The 10th edition of Buon Natale was held on December 27, 2022. The procession started fromSt. Thomas College, Thrissur and goes round through theSwaraj Round, Thrissur. TheUnion Minister of State forMinority Affairs,John Barla was the chief guest of the 2022nd Buon Natale.[11][12]
Swaraj Round, a vibrant cultural hub in Thrissur, has been the spirited stage for the festive dances of countless Santa Clauses, providing a lively showcase of Kerala's rich pluralistic cultural heritage. From nursery students to spirited senior citizens, some surpassing the age of 80, and women, all donned the iconic attire of Christmas Papas, joyously dancing to the tunes of special Buon Natale songs. ArchbishopMar Andrews Thazhath, mayor M K Varghese,MP T N Prathapan, and MLAsP Balachandran andSaneesh Kumar Joseph, district collector Krishna Teja were among those who participated in the opening session.[13]
In 2024 more than 15,000 people participated the Buon Natale Christmas procession. The event was inaugurated by Thrissur Archbishop Mar Andrews Thazhath, along with Ministers K. Rajan andR. Bindu,P. Balachandran, Thrissur Mayor M.K. Varghese, and other socio-political and religious leaders. Over 110 parishes under the Thrissur Archdiocese participated. The event featured a grand procession, attracting thousands and highlighting Thrissur’s cultural and religious harmony during Christmas.[14][15]
The procession starts fromSt Thomas College in Thrissur, encirclesSwaraj Round and ends at Saktan Thampuran Ground. Members from different churches under theThrissur Archdiocese participates in the procession.[5][16]
Tourist attractions inThrissur | ||
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