For the Hazrati family, Christmas Day typically includes a lit-up tree, gifts and a dal lunch.
But after the wrapping paper remnants were cleared from around the tree, the Punjabi Sikh family living in Jersey City, New Jersey, didn’t always know what the rest of the day should entail for a family like theirs — so a few years ago, they started spending Christmas Day at the local gurdwara, a place of assembly and worship for Sikhs.
With no extended family nearby nor religious service to attend, and lacking the colorful parades that would flood India’s streets on major holidays like Diwali and Holi, the Hazratis have found community there on Christmas Day — year after year.
Source: 'Christmas Mubarak': For many South Asian Americans, the holiday is a cultural celebration