25 December, Christmas is the celebration of birth of Jesus Christ, who is believed by Christians to be God’s son and the savior of the world. Numerous people from different religions celebrate Christmas; it is a cultural and social holiday.
For example, in several parts of the world, including countries like Russia and some Eastern Orthodox churches which use a different calendar, Christmas falls on 7th January while in many other places it is celebrated on 25th December. It might have been decided to place Christmas at this period because it coincided with pagan festivals related to return of light or winter solstice.
Different places around the globe have varying traditions and customs when it comes to Christmas among them: decorating trees, stockings hanging, sending cards, singing carols exchanging gifts or going to church. During Christmas celebrations you will come across such symbols as stars, angels, nativity scenes and wreaths mistletoe holly candy canes Santa Claus among others.
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Christmas can be a time for family and friends to celebrate and share love, gratitude, peace and the gift of God to humanity. It also serves as a reminder that Jesus was born; he came for the redemption of all mankind so that they may follow him.
25 december history
Romans are said to have first celebrated Christmas in 336AD but it only became a major Christian festival in the ninth century. It is always on December 25 and it remembers Jesus’ birth who is believed by Christians as the Son of God.
However, a specific day for his nativity is not indicated in the Bible although there are some indications that he was born in spring. The choice of this date came from Saturnalia and Mithraism, which were two celebrations done during winter solstice by Romans and Persians respectively who worshipped agriculture and light. This made it easier for Romans to accept Christianity as their official religion.
Gradually, different customs were assimilated into Christmas festivities by different cultures that include gift exchange, tree decoration, caroling and feasting. Some like Puritans in colonial New England disapproved some of these customs because they had roots in paganism and banned celebrating Christmas altogether. It was only until 1870 that Christmas became a national holiday in America.
Christmas celebration is very significant and varies from one culture to the other. The birth of Jesus in a stable – a poor family with Mary, Joseph and the shepherds around him; this is depicted by Nativity scenes.
Also, depicting Santa Claus figure based on a 4th century bishop known as Saint Nicholas who used to give away gifts to the needy; these themes are common during Christmas. For instance, the Christmas tree which was first seen in Germany symbolizes everlasting life.
people celebrate Christmas in other countries
People celebrate Christmas differently across the globe because of their cultures, religious affiliations and traditions. The following are some ways other countries celebrate Christmas:
- Australia, Christmas falls in summer, so people often enjoy outdoor activities like barbecues, picnics, and beach parties. People decorate their houses with native plants such as eucalyptus and wattle.
- China, only a small percentage of people are Christians but many still celebrate Christmas as a secular festival. They put up paper lanterns, flowers and red banners to decorate their homes during this time. They also exchange gifts including apples especially which symbolize peace and safety.
- Ethiopia, the country follows Julian calendar and thus celebrates Christmas on January 7th. The day is known as Ganna where men wear white clothes while women dress in Ethiopian traditional clothes. Additionally they play a traditional hockey-like game called ganna.
- In France, they call Christmas Noël and celebrate it with a feast called Réveillon that is eaten late at night on Christmas Eve. This meal includes delicacies such as foie gras, oysters and champagne. They also put up nativity scenes referred to as crèches in their homes.
- In Mexico, the celebration of Christmas takes place between December 12th and January 6th through a series of activities called Las Posadas. These are processions that reenact the journey of Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem. They also have piñatas that break, which are colourful clay pots filled with candy and fruits.
people exchange gifts on Christmas day
Depending on their culture, religion and traditions, people exchange gifts on Christmas for various reasons. Some of these may be:
This is done to commemorate the gifts that the magi brought to the baby Jesus of gold, frankincense and myrrh on 25th December.
This is due to St. Nicholas’s secret giving of gifts to poor children in his community. This practice influenced Santa Claus and Father Christmas.
This is because it allows them to express their love through gift giving during this festive season. It also demonstrates gratitude towards all they have been blessed with over the year.
These were among some of the customs practiced by cultures across the globe during winter solstice when everyone would exchange presents for such significant occasions as this one. The Romans celebrated Saturnalia, a festival of the god Saturn, with feasts and presents. The Druids distributed mistletoe as a symbol of luck.
Who was Jesus Christ?
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Jesus Christ, a Jewish preacher and religious leader, lived in the first century CE. Christianity has the largest following among all religions and he is its central figure.
Christians believe that he is the Son of God, their savior and messiah. The Romans crucified him but within three days he was resurrected from death. New Testament comprises of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John which contain his teachings and life history.
According to the Gospels, Jesus was born in Bethlehem which is a town in Judah. His mother, Mary who was about to get married to Joseph who was a carpenter, was still a virgin then. Joseph descended from King David who held Israel’s throne for long. Jesus grew up at Nazareth, a village located in Galilee where he trained by his father how to do woodwork.
He went and got baptized by John the Baptist who was a prophet that foretold God’s kingdom coming near. After that, he started his own ministry which included preaching teaching and healing people and had some disciples following him.
Among other things, he performed several miracles like turning water into wine before many people and raising dead individuals back to life. Additionally, he taught in parables – stories with double meanings.
During this period He often contested against religious leaders particularly Pharisees and Sadducees accusing him of being rebellious as well as blasphemous towards God’s laws. He also told about His own death and resurrection also prophesying that Temple of Jerusalem would be destroyed too.
The donkey was used by Jesus when he entered Jerusalem, a signal of humility and peace, where the multitude hailed him, declaring him as the Son of David. He had his disciples with whom they celebrated the Passover ceremony and established the Lord’s Supper, which was to be characterized by bread and wine as symbols for his body and blood.
However, one among Jesus’ apostles named Judas Iscariot betrayed him; ultimately delivering him to Jewish leaders. They took him to Pontius Pilate, Roman Governor who pronounced death sentence through crucifixion on him, a type of punishment reserved for high-profile criminals such as rebels.
After he was crucified and died on a wooden cross. There were two days between his burial in a tomb and his rising from the dead at dawn of the third day. Then Jesus appeared to His followers along with other witnesses before giving them The Great Commission which involved making disciples out of people all over the world.
Ascent into heaven is another major event that took place in relation to Christ’s ministry. While seated at His right hand is God the Father, He will return later on in history to judge every person regardless of whether they are alive or dead while also introducing His eternal Kingdom. –(IVNTV)