Christmas is a festival that celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ, who Christians worship. It falls on December 25 and is a major festival in many parts of the world. Christ is believed to be a messiah who was born to redeem humanity from sin. He was the son of God, who sacrificed him to save humanity.

People celebrate Christmas in many ways. They attend Midnight Mass at their church, as Christ was born at midnight. They also decorate their houses by putting up fairy lights, adorning Christmas trees, and meeting friends and family. It is a tradition to exchange gifts and also give to charity. Children expect a visit from ‘Santa Claus’ who will bring gifts for them.

People begin their Christmas decorations in advance by shopping for fairy lights and decorations like stars, bells, wreaths, candles, candy canes, etc, for their homes and Christmas trees.

How Christmas Celebrations Began

Christmas comes from the phrase ‘Mass of Christ’. The real birth date of Jesus Christ is not known. During the first three centuries since Christianity took root, Christ’s birth was not celebrated like it is today.

Christmas was first celebrated on 25th December in 336 AD, when the Roman Emperor Constantine was in power. Even the Bible, the holy book of Christians, does not mention the exact day of Jesus’s birth.

Many theories try to explain why Christmas is celebrated on December 25. According to one account, Mary was told on March 25 that she would deliver a special child. December 25 comes nine months after the 25th of March. Hence, 25th December was chosen to celebrate the Christmas festival. However, Church authorities announced 25th December as the date for celebrating Christmas as they wanted it to coincide with existing pagan festivals that honored Mithra and Satan.

While Mithra was the Persian God of light, Satan was the Roman God of agriculture. So, this date made it easier to make the Romans accept Christianity as the official religion of the Roman empire.

People celebrate Christmas with a lot of gaiety. It is a time to reunite with friends and family.

Significance of Christmas

When Jesus Christ was born, the world was filled with evils like greed, hatred, ignorance, and hypocrisy. His birth had a transformative effect on people’s lives. They realized the value of purity, spirituality, and devotion due to his teachings. They were also able to change their lives in a positive manner. Christmas shows that love and compassion can make the world a better place.

Jesus Christ made people realize that they could become spiritual only if they really wanted it. He encouraged them to lead a simple and humble life. He advised them not to run after worldly pleasures because true satisfaction comes from within us.

Christmas has its own customs and traditions, like any other festival. One is attending Midnight Mass at the church. In many countries, people abstain from food and drink on Christmas Eve. They eat the main meal after the Midnight Mass service. Christmas is also a time to enjoy good food and wine. People begin preparations for making the traditional Christmas plum cake months before the festival.

In the run-up to Christmas, bands of carol singers visit homes to sing Christian carols. Another custom is putting up a Christmas tree and decorating it with fairy lights and various ornaments. The whole family gets together to decorate the tree, adding to the festive vibes. There is also a tradition of exchanging gifts. The gifts are usually placed under the Christmas tree on the night of Christmas to give the children a pleasant surprise the next morning. The smaller children are told that it is Santa Claus who leaves the gifts under the Christmas tree.

Christmas Factoids

Here are some interesting facts about Christmas:

• The word ‘Xmas’ is from the ancient Greek language in which Christ begins with the letter ‘X.’ At first, Santa Claus wore green, blue, or purple clothes. Later, the Coca-Cola company changed the color of Santa’s dress to red to match their brand.

• James Lord Pierpont wrote the song, ‘Jingle Bells’, in 1857. It was meant to be played during Thanksgiving.

• The Dutch name for Santa Claus is Sinterklaas.

• The Christmas tree tradition existed during the time of the ancient Romans and Egyptians. In the 16th century, modern Christmas trees were used in Germany, and they were decorated with fruits and nuts.

• In 1890, Christmas tree lights were first produced by the USA.

• The Christmas wreath represents the crown of thorns that Jesus wore. The 3 colours of Christmas – red, green, and gold – were added later. Red represents Jesus’ blood, green represents life, and gold symbolizes light.

• Mistletoe is a symbol of love and laughter. Kissing under the mistletoe is a way of asking for the blessings of the spirits of Christmas.

• Going door to door and singing carols is a custom that began in England. It is a way to raise a toast to people’s good health and fortune.

• Christmas is not a holy day, as per the Bible. Buy Christmas Releated Homam from priestservices