Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the
birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as
a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central
to the Christian liturgical year, it is preceded by the season
of Advent or the Nativity Fast and initiates the season
of Christmastide, which historically in the West lasts twelve days and
culminates on Twelfth Night; in some traditions, Christmastide
includes an octave. Christmas Day is a public holiday in many
of the world's nations, is celebrated religiously by a majority of
Christians,as well as culturally by many non-Christians, and
forms an integral part of the holiday season centered around it.
The traditional Christmas narrative, the Nativity of Jesus,
delineated in the New Testament says that Jesus was born in Bethlehem,
in accordance with messianic prophecies. When Joseph and Mary arrived
in the city, the inn had no room and so they were offered a stable where
the Christ Child was soon born, with angels proclaiming
this news to shepherds who then further disseminated the information.
Although the month and date of Jesus' birth are unknown, by
the early-to-mid fourth century the Western Christian Church had
placed Christmas on December 25, a date that was later adopted in the
East. Today, most Christians celebrate on December 25 in the Gregorian
calendar, which has been adopted almost universally in the civil calendars used
in countries throughout the world. However, some Eastern Christian
Churches celebrate Christmas on December 25 of the older Julian
calendar, which currently corresponds to January 7 in the Gregorian calendar,
the day after the Western Christian Church celebrates the Epiphany. This
is not a disagreement over the date of Christmas as such, but rather a
preference of which calendar should be used to determine the day that is
December 25. Moreover, for Christians, the belief that God came into
the world in the form of man to atone for the sins of
humanity, rather than the exact birth date, is considered to be the primary
purpose in celebrating Christmas.
The celebratory customs associated in various countries with
Christmas have a mix of pre-Christian, Christian, and secularthemes
and origins. Popular modern customs of the holiday include gift
giving, completing an Advent calendar or Advent wreath, Christmas
music and caroling, lighting a Christingle, viewing a Nativity
play, an exchange of Christmas cards, church services, a special
meal, and the display of various Christmas decorations, including Christmas
trees, Christmas lights, nativity scenes, garlands, wreaths, mistletoe,
and holly. In addition, several closely related and often interchangeable
figures, known as Santa Claus, Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas,
and Christkind, are associated with bringing gifts to children during the
Christmas season and have their own body of traditions and lore. Because
gift-giving and many other aspects of the Christmas festival involve heightened
economic activity, the holiday has become a significant event and a key sales
period for retailers and businesses. The economic impact of Christmas has grown
steadily over the past few centuries in many regions of the world.
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