A pandemic Christmas: Masked up devotees attend mass, follow social distancing norms

Even as quarantines, border closings and curfews have complicated the joyous Christmas for people across the globe, the day remained special for many thanks to their determination and imagination.

A man dressed as Santa riding a bike on GST road in Chennai. (Photo | Ashwin Prasath, EPS) 

A family in Thiruvananthapuram engaged in giving finishing touches to the crib on the eve of Christmas. (Photo | Vincent Pulickal, EPS)

Bharatinagar Residents Forum in Cox Town in Bengaluru celebrated Christmas with visually challenged children and children from orphanage. (Photo | Shriram B N, EPS)

Christmas prayer at St. Patrick's church in St. Thomas mount, Chennai. (Photo | Ashwin Prasath, EPS)

Due to the pandemic scare the attendance was very low at St. Mary's Basilica in Bengaluru. (Photo | Vinod Kumar T, EPS)

People attend christmas prayer at Sacred Heart Shrine, Egmore, in Chennai. (Photo | R Satish babu, EPS)

Girls admire a decked up Christmas tree at the St. Joseph’s Cathedral during the midnight Mass in Hyderabad. (Photo | S Senbagapandiyan, EPS)

Archbishop of Verapoly Joseph Kalathiparambil brings the statuette of Baby Jesus on a white linen cloth during the Christmas mass at St Francis of Assisi Roman Catholic Metropolitan Cathedral, Ernakulam. (Photo | A Sanesh, EPS)

The devotees were allowed to remove their mask only when consuming the communion on Friday in Bengaluru. (Photo | Meghana Sastry, EPS)

CSI Immanuel church in Coimbatore seen lit up with colourful lights. (Photo | A Raja Chidambaram, EPS)