Christmas tree is a new feature in Kerala, perhaps less than sixty or seventy years old. On this the priests hold mass in churches of Kerala three times starting with the first at midnight. Just before the midnight mass, an image of the Child is brought by the priest, preceded by rows of Children holding lighted candles that are placed in the crib. The hymn 'Gloria in exelcis Deo' is sung amidst the explosion of crackers. In Kerala, Christmas retains its homeliness in a manner and style, which is quite unknown in the west making the celebrations even more beautiful.