Family outings, religious gatherings and late-nights summed up the festivities on Friday. Thousands thronged the midnight mass at churches and parishes, which were adorned with LEDs, twinkling stars and cribs. As the day progressed with the sun shining bright, people headed to hangout spots such as Rajdhani Vatika and P&M Mall to make the most of the day. They sang, munched and hugged each other. After sunset, revellers headed to hotels and clubs to end the day on a high note. Piyush Kumar Tripathi visited some of the coolest places in town to find out how Patna celebrated Christmas.

Faith first

Devotees, from toddlers to the elderly, thronged churches, including Queen of Apostles Church at Kurji, St Joseph's Pro Cathedral at Bankipore and the parish at Patna Women's College to participate in the Christmas Morning Prayer service and lit candles in front of cribs and the statue of Mother Mary. Patna Archbishop William D' Souza SJ led the prayer service at Queen of Apostles Church. The parish priest of the church, Fr Johnson Kelakath SJ, accompanied him. Serpentine queues were seen at St Joseph's Pro Cathedral at Bankipore as well. People of all faiths, especially young girls, were seen at the churches as they lit candles at the cribs and took selfies.

Family fun

Christmas is a time for family reunion for most Christians and the tradition was witnessed this Xmas as well. Following the Morning Prayer service, people went to their relatives' place, spent some quality family time and gorged on delicacies. "Following the morning prayer service at Kurji parish, we went to my brother-in-law's home for lunch. Thereafter, we did some shopping for a wedding in the family. Finally, we went to my elder's brother's place for dinner," said Clarence Peter, an educational consultant.

Picnic plans

While most Christians spent the day meeting friends and relatives, others enjoyed the holiday by going to hangout spots, including Eco Park and Patna zoo, among others. Both places being perfect picnic spots, revellers enjoyed boat rides, badminton and other games such as playing cards and ludo. Young girls clicked photographs and were seen playing antakshari . People were seen chatting and playing with kids. Couples made most of the sunny day, holding hands and conversing. "The weather was perfect for a picnic. We brought homemade food, which we had after playing badminton for a while," said Neha Singh, a resident of Jagdeopath.

Sandbar selfies

Several resident, mostly youths, sailed across the Ganga to make the most of the day at Sabbalpur Diara - Patna's very own sandbar situated in the middle of the river - with their friends and loved ones. Apart from the country-made boats, Bihar State Tourism Development Corporation also put MV Ganga Vihar into service for ferrying people from Gandhi Ghat to the sandbar. Many couples were seen taking a stroll on the sand with their shoes in their hands. A few of them were seen looking out for cosy hideouts away from the crowd and taking selfies. The revellers also gorged on litti , samosa and other snacks at the makeshift stalls.

Movie magic

Cinemas also witnessed good footfall as compared to regular Fridays. Last Friday's mega releases - Dilwale and Bajirao Mastani - were preferred by most movie buffs, as there were no new Bollywood releases. Star Wars: The Force Awakens was the only new Hollywood release on Friday, which was screened at Cinepolis in two shows, at 1.25pm and 7.20pm.

"All shows, seven of Dilwale and three of Bajirao Mastani ran to almost full houses today (Friday)," said Sharad Kumar, manager (accounts), The Premiere Square, which houses Mona and Elphinstone cinemas.

Chinese connection

Any festival in Patna is incomplete without food. People savoured delicacies at the Chinese fast food stalls at Maurya Lok. Girls and boys had Mumbai's Chowpatty-like fun while sharing jokes as they gorged on noodles, chilly chicken and rolls. Girls dressed up in tunic and overcoats, while boys were seen in jackets and T-shirts paired with jeans. Balloon sellers made brisk business as they went around the commercial hub spread across 7.71 acres.