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.