Вы находитесь на странице: 1из 1

Christmas(is an annual commemoration ofthe

birthofJesus Christand a widely observedholiday,


celebrated generally onDecember by billions of
peoplearound the world.Afeastcentral to the
Christian liturgical year, it closes theAdventseason
and initiates thetwelve days of Christmastide.
Christmas is acivil holidayinmany of the world's
nations,is celebrated by an increasing number of
non-Christians,and is an integral part of
theChristmasandholidayseason.

Christmas Day is celebrated as a major festival


andpublic holidayin countries around the world,
includingmany whosepopulationsaremostlynonChristian.Insome non-Christiancountries,periods
of former colonial rule introduced the celebration
(e.g.Hong Kong); in others, Christian minorities or
foreign cultural influences have led populations to
observe the holiday. Countries such as Japan,
where Christmas is popular despite there being
only a small number of Christians, have adopted
manyofthesecular aspectsofChristmas,suchas
gift-giving,decorationsandChristmastrees.

The traditional colors of Christmas are green and red.


White, silverandgoldare also popular. Red symbolizes
the blood of Jesus, which was shed in his crucifixion,
while green symbolizes eternal life, and in particular
the evergreen tree, which does not lose its leaves in
the winter.
AChristmas treeis a decorated tree, usually an
evergreen
conifersuch aspineorfir, traditionally associated with
the celebration of Christmas. Anartificial Christmas
treeis an object made to resemble such a tree, usually
made frompolyvinyl chloride(PVC).
The tree was traditionally decorated with edibles such
as apples, nuts or dates. In the 18th century, it began
to
be
illuminated
by
candles,
which
withelectrificationcould also be replaced byChristmas
lights. Today, there are a wide variety oftraditional
ornaments,
such
asgarland,tinsel,
andcandy
canes.An angel or star may be placed at the top of the
tree, to represent the host of angels or theStar of
Bethlehemfrom theNativity.
Christmas lights and banners may be hung along
streets, music played from speakers, and Christmas
trees placed in prominent places.It is common in many
parts of the world for town squares and consumer
shopping areas to sponsor and display decorations.
Rolls of brightly colored paper with secular or religious
Christmas motifs are manufactured for the purpose of
wrapping gifts. In some countries, Christmas
decorations are traditionally taken down onTwelfth
Night, the evening of January 5.

The exchanging of gifts is one of the core aspects of


the modern Christmas celebration, making the
Christmas season the most profitable time of year
for retailers and businesses throughout the world. Gift
giving was common in the Roman celebration
of Saturnalia, an ancient festival which took place in
late December and may have influenced Christmas
customs.On Christmas, Christians exchange gifts on
the basis that the tradition is associated St.
Nicholas with Christmas,[and that gifts of gold,
frankincense and myrrh were given to the infant Jesus
by the Biblical Magi.

Вам также может понравиться