Christmas (Old English:
Crīstesmæsse, meaning "Christ's Mass") is an annual commemoration of
the birth of Jesus Christ. "Xmas" is an
abbreviation of Christmas found particularly in print, based on the initial
letter chi (Χ) in Greek Khrīstos (Χριστός), "Christ", though numerous
style guides discourage its use;
While the birth year of Jesus is
estimated among modern historians to have been between 7 and 2 BC, the exact
month and day of his birth are unknown. His birth is mentioned in two of the
four canonical gospels. By the early-to-mid 4th century, the Western Christian
Church had placed Christmas on December 25, a date later adopted in the East,
although some churches celebrate on the December 25 of the older Julian
calendar, which corresponds to January in the modern-day Gregorian calendar.
Popular modern customs of the
holiday include gift giving, Christmas music and caroling, an exchange of
Christmas cards, church celebrations, 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 among both Christians and non-Christians,
the holiday has become a significant event and a key sales period for retailers
and businesses. The economic impact of Christmas is a factor that has grown
steadily over the past few centuries in many regions of the world
Family reunions and the exchange
of gifts are a widespread feature of the season. Gift giving takes place on
Christmas Day in most countries. Others practice gift giving on December 6,
Saint Nicholas Day, and January 6, Epiphany.
A special Christmas family meal
is traditionally an important part of the holiday's celebration, and the food
that is served varies greatly from country to country. Some regions, such as
Sicily, have special meals for Christmas Eve, when 12 kinds of fish are served.
In the United Kingdom and countries influenced by its traditions, a standard
Christmas meal includes turkey or goose, meat, gravy, potatoes, vegetables,
sometimes bread and cider. Special desserts are also prepared, such as
Christmas pudding, mince pies, and fruit cake.
In Poland and other parts of
eastern Europe and Scandinavia, fish often is used for the traditional main
course, but richer meat such as lamb is increasingly served. In Germany,
France, and Austria, goose and pork are favored. Beef, ham, and chicken in
various recipes are popular throughout the world.
A number of figures are
associated with Christmas and the seasonal giving of gifts. Among these are
Father Christmas, also known as Santa Claus (derived from the Dutch for Saint
Nicholas), Père Noël, and the Weihnachtsmann; Saint Nicholas or Sinterklaas;
the Christkind; Kris Kringle; Joulupukki; Babbo Natale; Saint Basil; and Father
Frost.
The best known of these figures
today is red-dressed Santa Claus, of diverse origins. The name Santa Claus can
be traced back to the Dutch Sinterklaas, which means simply Saint Nicholas.
Nicholas was Bishop of Myra, in modern-day Turkey, during the 4th century.
Among other saintly attributes, he was noted for the care of children,
generosity, and the giving of gifts. His feast on December 6 came to be
celebrated in many countries with the giving of gifts.
Saint Nicholas traditionally
appeared in bishop's attire, accompanied by helpers, inquiring about the
behaviour of children during the past year before deciding whether they
deserved a gift or not. By the 13th century, Saint Nicholas was well known in
the Netherlands, and the practice of gift-giving in his name spread to other
parts of central and southern Europe. At the Reformation in 16th–17th-century
Europe, many Protestants changed the gift bringer to the Christ Child or
Christkindl, corrupted in English to Kris Kringle, and the date of giving gifts
changed from December 6 to Christmas Eve.
The modern popular image of Santa
Claus, however, was created in the United States, and in particular in New
York. The transformation was accomplished with the aid of notable contributors
including Washington Irving and the German-American cartoonist Thomas Nast
(1840–1902). Following the American Revolutionary War, some of the inhabitants
of New York City sought out symbols of the city's non-English past. New York
had originally been established as the Dutch colonial town of New Amsterdam and
the Dutch Sinterklaas tradition was reinvented as Saint Nicholas.
*A wreath is an assortment of
flowers, leaves, fruits, twigs or various materials that is constructed to
resemble a ring. Wreaths are used typically as household ornaments, mainly as
Christmas decorations to celebrate the birth of Christ. They are usually made
from evergreens and symbolize strength, as evergreens last even throughout the
harshest winters
Boxing Day takes place on
December 26th and is only celebrated in a few countries. It was started in the
UK about 800 years ago, during the Middle Ages. It was the day when the alms
box, collection boxes for the poor often kept in churches, were traditionally
opened so that the contents could be distributed to poor people. Some churches
still open these boxes on Boxing Day.
