What is Christmas?
Traditionally, Christmas was a Christian festival celebrating the birth of Jesus that has now evolved into a family holiday celebrated by Christians and non-Christians alike.
Celebrated around the world, different countries have different customs and traditions, with most celebrating from the late afternoon/evening of 24 December and 25 December.
Links to: Equality & diversity, religious events, religious celebrations, British values – tolerance of differences, mutual respect, individual liberty, rule of law (9 protected characteristics).
What is Christmas?
Christmas is celebrated on 25 December and is both a sacred religious holiday and a worldwide cultural and commercial phenomenon.
Celebrations can start weeks before Christmas and continue into January.
The English term Christmas (“mass on Christ’s day”) is of fairly recent origin. The earlier term Yule may have derived from the Germanic or the Anglo-Saxon geōl, which referred to the feast of the winter solstice.
Christian festival celebrating the birth of Jesus. The English term Christmas (“mass on Christ’s day”) is of fairly recent origin. The earlier term Yule may have derived from the Germanic jōl or the Anglo-Saxon geōl, which referred to the feast of the winter solstice. The corresponding terms in other languages — Navidad in Spanish, Natale in Italian, Noël in French—all probably denote nativity. The German word ‘Weihnachten’ denotes “hallowed night.”
Since the early 20th century, Christmas has also been a secular family holiday, observed by Christians and non-Christians alike, devoid of Christian elements, and marked by an increasingly elaborate exchange of gifts. In this secular Christmas celebration, a mythical figure named Santa Claus plays the pivotal role.
(Source: Britannica)
What is the Christian story of Christmas?
Jesus was born on 25 December to a woman called Mary who was engaged to Joseph, a carpenter in the town of Nazareth in Galilee.
Mary was visited by an angel who told her that she would give birth to a baby called Jesus. Jesus was born in Bethlehem because Joseph and Mary had travelled there to take part in a census which the Roman rulers had ordered.
When Mary and Joseph arrived in Bethlehem the local inn was full with people returning for the census. The innkeeper let them stay in the rock cave below his house which was used as a stable for animals. It was here that Mary gave birth to Jesus.
Jesus was visited by three wise men from the East who had followed a star to Bethlehem. The wise men presented Jesus with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. An angel also guided some poor shepherds to see the birth. For Christians this shows that Jesus came for all people of all backgrounds.
Every year on 25 December Christians around the world celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.
(Source: bbc.co.uk)
Christmas Traditions in the UK
In the UK, families often celebrate Christmas together, so they can watch each other open their presents on the morning of 25 December.
Most families have a Christmas tree in their house for Christmas. The decorating of the tree is usually a family occasion, with everyone helping. Christmas Trees were first popularised the UK by Prince Albert, the husband of Queen Victoria. Prince Albert was German and thought that it would be good to use one of his ways of celebrating Christmas in England.
Some further examples of how Christmas is celebrated in the UK include:
- Putting a silver coin in the Christmas Pudding.
- Eating turkey on Christmas Day.
- Exchanging presents on 25 December.
- Pulling Christmas crackers.
- Eating mince pies.
- Leaving out mince pies, or other snacks and drinks, for Santa Claus.
- Going to the pantomime.
- Watching the Queen’s Speech.
The arrival of Santa Claus
Santa Claus – otherwise known as Saint Nicholas or Kris Kringle – has a long history steeped in Christmas traditions. Today, he is thought of mainly as the jolly man in red who brings toys to good girls and boys on Christmas Eve.
The legend of Santa Claus can be traced back hundreds of years to a monk named St. Nicholas. It is believed that Nicholas was born sometime around 280 A.D. in Patara, near Myra in modern-day Turkey. Much admired for his piety and kindness, St. Nicholas became the subject of many legends. It is said that he gave away all of his inherited wealth and traveled the countryside helping the poor and sick. One of the best-known St. Nicholas stories is the time he saved three poor sisters from being sold into slavery or prostitution by their father by providing them with a dowry so that they could be married.
Over the course of many years, Nicholas’s popularity spread and he became known as the protector of children and sailors. His feast day is celebrated on the anniversary of his death, 6 December. This was traditionally considered a lucky day to make large purchases or to get married. By the Renaissance, St. Nicholas was the most popular saint in Europe. Even after the Protestant Reformation, when the veneration of saints began to be discouraged, St. Nicholas maintained a positive reputation, especially in Holland.
In 1822, Clement Clarke Moore, an Episcopal minister, wrote the Christmas poem ‘Twas The Night Before Christmas.’ Moore’s poem is largely responsible for our modern image of Santa Claus as a “right jolly old elf” with a portly figure and the supernatural ability to ascend a chimney with a mere nod of his head! His poem helped popularise the now-familiar image of a Santa Claus who flew from house to house on Christmas Eve in a sleigh led by eight flying reindeer to leave presents for deserving children creating a now hugely popular and instantly recognisable icon
Christmas around the world
Although 25 December (or the late afternoon/evening of 24 December) is the date when most people celebrate Christmas, there are some other dates as well!
Some churches (mainly Orthodox churches) use a different calendar for their religious celebrations. Orthodox Churches in Russia, Serbia, Jerusalem, Ukraine and other countries use the old ‘Julian’ calendar and people in those churches celebrate Christmas on 7 January. The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church Ethiopia also celebrates Christmas on 7 January (which is the 29th of Tahsas in their calendar).
Most people in the Greek Orthodox Church celebrate Christmas on December 25th. But some still use the Julian calendar and so celebrate Christmas on 7 January! Some Greek Catholics also celebrate on 7 January.
In Armenia, the Apostolic Church celebrates Christmas on 6 January. It also celebrates Epiphany on this day.