Christmas7.com

Christmas

Christmas is the main Christian celebration event and is celebrate as birth of Jesus and its celebration spreads happiness. The word Christmas comes from the Greek word Crises messes, or "Christ's Mass." In 336 A.D. the first celebration of Christmas was held in Rome. In many parts of the country Christmas is one of the chief event of the year and is celebrate with great joy and happiness. The day of Christmas is an important day on the religious calendar. The various govt. like federal government, all state governments, and all institutes like schools/colleges/universities and the huge mass of businesses in America give employees one or two days off at Christmas, in order to make Christmas an important holiday. Although there are many other federal holidays like: New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Day, Washington's Birthday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving, but Christmas is one of six sacred feast days in the Roman Catholic calendar, celebrated in America, the others being: Circumcision (New Year's Day), Ascension, Assumption (Mary's assumption into heaven, August 15), All Saints (November 1), and the Immaculate Conception (December 8).
Saturnalia (worship of sun), which means the celebration of Sun and this festival was known by the name Saturnalia and its beginning was the middle of December and ending was the January 1st. Visiting friends, arrangement of large amount of festive meals, masquerades in the streets, celebrated this festival and the exchange of good-luck gifts called Sterna (lucky fruits). The Romans decorated their halls with garlands of laurel and green trees, which look pleasure by the litting candles, and now it is known as Christmas tree. A very special practice was followed on this occasion was that the masters become slaves and slaves become their masters. This practice created equality among one another and made everyone independent to work and live.
Although the Romans celebrate their festival Jo Saturnalia!" with a great joy and fun to honor the pagan god but the early Christians wanted to celebrate the birthday of Christ solemnly simply a religious holiday, not like the Romans and this resolution was made in 137 AD by the Bishop of Rome. But when Christianity reached at its peak the Christians started to celebrate Christmas with joy and happiness. Their was no any criteria to celebrate the birthday of Christ because no one knows the exact day and date birth of Christ It has been stated in history that Christ’s birthday has been celebrated since98 A.D. Eventually another Bishop of Rome, Julius I, chose December 25th as the ceremony of Christmas in 350 A.D.
Foremost the Church prohibited to celebrate in this manner but there was no advantage to ban this celebration. At the long run a resolution was made that the festival will be celebrated in that way that will suit to the Christian Son of God. If we take a look at the mythology it is asserted that the "Christmas" celebration was the way of responding of Christians against the pagan celebrations of December.
The beginning of Gospel Luke starts by telling that story in which it is discussed that an angel make Mary learn that she is with the child only with the help of the Holy Spirit. By this story Mary concluded that she is a virgin and the angel responds, "If God is with us nothing is here in the world which shall be impossible." After few days thereafter, Mary and her husband Joseph leave for Joseph’s ancestral home from their home in Nazareth by traveling about 150 kilometers. Emperor Augustus ordered for a census in Bethlehem, in order to register. When they reached at the inns, no room was available their hence they lodge in a stable. And their Mary gives birth to Jesus. An angel tells the shepherds in the field "tidings of joy." A heavenly host announced, "Glory to God in the uppermost, and on earth peace on all who are living

Christmas Around the world

Christmas, the festival of joy and happiness, cuts across geographical boundaries and is celebrated all over the world. It is not only celebrated in American and European countries but is also a popular festival in other parts of the world. Christmas celebrations are greatly influenced by the cultural and local traditions of a country. more...

Christmas in USA

Christmas in UK

Christmas in Europe