Christmas Holidays

Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual commemoration of the birth of Jesus Christ ,celebrated generally on December 25 as a religious and cultural holiday by billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgica year, it closes the Advent season and initiates the twelve days of Christmastide. Christmas is a civil holiday in many of the world s nations, is celebrated by an increasing number of non!Christians, and is an integral part of the Christmas and holiday season. "he original date of the celebration in #astern Christianity was January $, in connection with #piphany, and that is still the date of the celebration for the Armenian Apostolic Church and in Armenia, where it is a public holiday. As of 2%&&, there is a difference of &' days between the Julian calendar and the more generally used (regorian calendar. "hose who use the Julian calendar or its e)uivalents thus celebrate December 25 and January $ on what for the ma*ority of people is January + and January &,. -or this reason, #thiopia celebrates Christmas, both as a Christian feast and as a public holiday on what in the (regorian calendar is January +. .any of the popular celebratory customs associated in various countries with Christmas have pre!Christian or secular themes and origins. /opular modern customs of the holiday include gift!giving, music, an e0change of Christmas cards, church celebrations, a special meal, and the display of various decorations1 including Christmas trees, lights, garlands, mistletoe, nativity scenes, and holly. 2n addition, several figures, 3nown as 4aint 5icholas, -ather Christmas, and 4anta Claus, among other names, are associated with bringing gifts to children during the Christmas season.6ecause 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 3ey sales period for retailers and businesses. "he economic impact of Christmas is a factor that has grown steadily over the past few centuries in many regions of the world. "he practice of putting up special decorations at Christmas has a long history. -rom pre!Christian times, people in the 7oman #mpire brought branches from evergreen plants indoors in the winter. Decorating with greenery was also part of Jewish tradition 8 95ow on the first day you shall ta3e for yourselves the foliage of beautiful trees, palm branches

and boughs of leafy trees and willows of the broo3, and you shall re*oice before the :;7D your (od for seven days. 9 <:eviticus= "he traditional colors of Christmas are green and red .>hite, silver and gold are also popular. 7ed symboli?es the blood of Jesus, which was shed in his crucifi0ion, while green symboli?es eternal life, and in particular the evergreen tree, which does not lose its leaves in the winter. 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. 4ome regions, such as 4icily, have special meals for Christmas #ve, when &2 3inds of fish are served. 2n #ngland and countries influenced by its traditions, a standard Christmas meal includes tur3ey or goose, meat, gravy, potatoes, vegetables, sometimes bread and cider. 4pecial desserts are also prepared, such as Christmas pudding, mince pies and fruit ca3e. "he e0changing of gifts is one of the core aspects of the modern Christmas celebration, ma3ing the Christmas season the most profitable time of year for retailers and businesses throughout the world. (ift giving was common in the 7oman celebration of 4aturnalia, an ancient festival which too3 place in late December and may have influenced Christmas customs. Christmas gift giving was banned by the Catholic Church in the .iddle Ages due to its suspected pagan origins. 2t was later rationali?ed by the Church on the basis that it associated 4t. 5icholas with Christmas, and that gifts of gold, fran3incense and myrrh were given to the infant Jesus by the 6iblical .agi. Santa Claus, also 3nown as Saint Nicholas, Father Christmas, Kris Kringle, or simply 9Santa9, is a figure with legendary, historical and fol3loric aspects who, in many western cultures, is said to bring gifts to the homes of the good children during the late evening and overnight hours of Christmas #ve, December 2@.A&B "he modern figure was derived from the Dutch figure of 4inter3laas,A2B which, in turn, may have part of its basis in hagiographical tales concerning the historical figure of gift giver 4aint 5icholas. A nearly identical story is attributed by (ree3 and 6y?antine fol3lore to 6asil of Caesarea. 6asil s feast day on January & is considered the time of e0changing gifts in (reece.