C Christmas Day is an annual festival commemorating birth of Jesus Christ. It Observe primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. In this page we discuss Christmas Day | Definition, Traditions, History & Facts.
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Christmas Day:
Christmas Day is annual festival commemorating birth of Jesus Christ. It celebrate on December 25 as religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around world. A feast central to Christian liturgical year, it is precede by season of Advent or Nativity Fast and initiates season of Christmastide. It historically in West lasts twelve days and culminates on Twelfth Night. In some traditions, Christmastide includes an octave.
This Day is public holiday in many of world’s nations. It is celebrate religiously by majority of Christians. As well as culturally by many non Christians and forms an integral part of holiday season center around it. The traditional narrative, Nativity of Jesus, delineate in New Testament says that Jesus was born in Bethlehem in accordance with messianic prophecies.
When Joseph and Mary arrive in city, inn had no room and so they were offered stable where Christ Child was soon born with angels proclaiming this news to shepherds who then further disseminated information. Although month and date of Jesus’ birth are unknown, church in early fourth century fix date as December 25.
However, part of Eastern Christian Churches celebrate Christmas on December 25 of older Julian calendar. Which currently corresponds to January 7 in Gregorian calendar. For Christians, believing that God came into world in form of man to atone for sins of humanity. It rather than knowing Jesus’ exact birth date is consider to be primary purpose in celebrating Christmas.
Cards:
A Christmas Day Card is greeting card sent as part of traditional celebration of Christmas. It convey between people range of sentiments related to Christmastide and holiday season. Cards are usually exchange during weeks preceding Christmas Day by many people in Western society and in Asia. The traditional greeting reads “wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year”.
There are innumerable variations on this greeting, many cards expressing more religious sentiment. They containing poem, prayer, Christmas song lyrics or Biblical verse. Others focus on general holiday season with an all inclusive “Season’s greetings”. The first modern Christmas card was by John Calcott Horsley.
Christmas Day Quotes:
Christmas Day is most wonderful time of year. So to help you get in spirit, we have create list of best Christmas quotes ever. They will fill your heart with joy and remind you of reason for season. Many of these quotes are famous you love, so you will definitely recognize some of words.
- Christmas is day that holds all time together.
- Freshly cut Christmas trees smelling of stars and snow and pine resin inhale deeply and fill your soul with wintry night.
- Christmas is not a date. It is a state of mind.
- I will honor Christmas in my heart and try to keep it all the year.
- Christmas is not time nor season but state of mind. To cherish peace and goodwill to be plenteous in mercy to have real spirit of Christmas.
- Our hearts grow tender with childhood memories and love of kindred. We are better throughout year for having in spirit become child again at Christmastime.
- Christmas is doing a little something extra for someone.
- Peace on earth will come to stay, When we live Christmas every day.
- Christmas is a day of meaning and traditions, a special day spent in the warm circle of family and friends.
- Christmas is a time when everybody wants his past forgotten and his present remembered.
- At Christmas, all roads lead home.
- One of the most glorious messes in the world is the mess created in the living room on Christmas Day. Don’t clean it up too quickly.
- The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear.
- It is most truly Christmas when we celebrate it by giving the light of love to those who need it most.
Trees:
Christmas trees goes back to the symbolic use of evergreens in ancient Egypt and Rome and continues with the German tradition of candlelit trees first brought to America in the 1800s. Discover the history of the tree, from the earliest winter solstice celebrations to Queen Victoria’s decorating habits and the annual lighting of the Rockefeller Center tree in New York City.
plants and trees that remained green all year had a special meaning for people in the winter. Just as people today decorate their homes during the festive season with pine, spruce, and fir trees, ancient peoples hung evergreen boughs over their doors and windows. In many countries it was believed that evergreens would keep away witches, ghosts, evil spirits, and illness.
Wishes:
While sending well wishes through text or email is perfectly acceptable in this day and age, there is still no better way to send holiday cheer than with classic card. We here give some Day Wishes:
- Merry Christmas! Wishing you all the happiness your holiday can hold!
- Wishing you Christmas that’s merry and bright!
- May the wonder of that first Christmas, the joy of God’s abundant blessings, and the peace of Jesus’ presence be with you always.
- Happy Holidays! I hope all of your Christmas wishes come true.
- Merry Christmas! I hope you receive one blessing after another this coming year.
- Christmas is mostly for children. But we adults can enjoy it too, until the credit card bills arrive.
- I told Santa you were good this year and sent him a link to your Pinterest board. Merry Christmas to you!
- Merry Christmas! May your happiness be large and your bills be small.
- We may not be together on Christmas morning, but you’re always in my heart.
- We may not be able to rock around the Christmas tree together, but I’ll deck the halls in your honor.
- Dear mom, Merry Christmas! Spending this day with you is a blessing! Love you!
- I know it’s been a hard year for you and your family. I hope the New Year brings better days.
- We know you might be having a difficult time this year, more than ever. Wishing you strength and peace in these challenging times.
- Warmest wishes that you can find in this shadowy time.
Gifts:
In ancient Rome, gift giving might have occur near winter solstice in December. It celebrated during Saturnalia holiday. A Gift or present is gift given in celebration of Christmas. Christmas gifts are often exchange on Christmas Day, December 25 on last day of twelve day, Twelfth Night.
The practice of giving gifts during Christmastide according to Christian tradition. It is symbolic of presentation of gifts by Three Wise Men to infant Jesus. Gift giving in general is an ancient tradition that came to be associate with Christian feast of Christmas.
History:
The first known date of Christmas being rejoiced on December 25th was in 336 AD through time of Roman Emperor Constantine. That was first Christian Roman Emperor. After some years, Pope Julius I formally announce that birth of Jesus would be rejoice on 25th December.
Christmas festival is the time when family, friends and relatives come together and celebrate with full of joy. Children are mostly excited due to the gifts they receive from Santa Claus. Therefore, we can say that in the Christmas celebration there is a mythical figure named Santa Claus that plays an important role.
December 25th may have even been selected as the Winter Solstice and the early pagan Roman midwinter festivals known as ‘Saturnalia’ and ‘Dies Natalis Solis Invicti’ happened in December near this date – thus it was a period when individuals were previously celebrating events.
Christmas is celebrated across the globe on 25 December to remember the birth of Jesus Christ, the son of God. Do you know that the name ‘Çhristmas’ comes from the Mass of Christ or Jesus. Let us find out the history of Christmas celebration, tree, and Santa Claus.
CHRISTMAS DAY DATES:
- 2020
- 2021
- 2022
- 2023
- FridayDecember 25
- Saturday December 25
- Sunday December 25
- Monday December 25
Popular Holidays:
- Ashura
- Christmas
- Easter
- Eid ul Azha
- Eid ul Fitr
- Independence Day
- Kashmir Day
- Labour Day
- Milad un Nabi
- Pakistan Day
- Quiad-e-Azam Day
How is Christmas celebrate?
Christmas is celebration that is fill with delight, cheerfulness and worship in life of people. On this occasion, people go to church, sing carols, participate in different religious services, swap presents, beautify their homes with holly, mistletoe, lights, flowers and Christmas trees and conduct family get-together.
On Christmas Eve, churches across the globe perform evening services. At midnight, many churches perform extraordinary candlelight services. Santa Claus is an admired personality in the event who distributes presents to the kids. People prepare several cakes and feasts, express their joy and happiness by singing carols i.e. songs and welcome the Lord. Kids or children used to celebrate this festival with full of joy and excited for gifts. That given by parents, friends, family members and also wait for Santa Claus eagerly.
Chrismas Traditions:
Mistletoe:
Kissing someone who happens to be stood under sprig of mistletoe is seen as tradition popularize in Victorian England. However even this relatively modern tradition has much more ancient echoes in that Mistletoe bears its fruit around time of Winter Solstice and its suppose mythical ability to heal and increase fertility.
A hint of Mistletoe’s integration from pagan ceremonies into this tradition is said that mistletoe plant use to be tree and its wood was use to make cross on which Jesus was crucified. After Crucifixion, plant shrivelled to became parasitic vine we know today.
Carol Singing:
As mentioned earlier, tradition of singing of songs can traced back to pagan festivals before advent of this day. Indeed, word carol derived from Greek word “choraulein” which meant “an ancient circle dance performed to flute music.”
As carols were already establish custom, early Christians made shrew decision to integrate Christian songs into tradition rather than ban singing. Most new Christian Carols were written in Latin which was by middle ages. A language only used by church thus reducing popularity of custom. However, Carols receive an injection of popularity when St. Francis of Assisi started his Nativity Plays in Italy in 1223. It included songs written in local people’s language.
The tradition of ‘Modern’ Carol singing flourish in England. Known as Wassailing, it was chance for peasants to get some much need charity from their feudal lords. This singing for money developed in custom involving travelling musicians who would visit wealthy homes, singing in hope of receiving money food or gifts in return.
There was short interruption in 1647 when Puritans come to power after English Civil War. The Puritans under leadership of Oliver Cromwell, disapproved of celebration. There was even fine of up to five shillings for anyone caught singing carols. When King Charles II came back to throne in 1660, public singing of Christmas carols was permit again.
Activities:
Should you visit Pakistan during this season, some activities and events you might want to attend include:
- Go to Christmas Day procession in Lahore. There will be a large crowd and fairly long walk from Saint Anthony’s Church to Lahore Cathedral.
- The procession lasts for several hours and celebrated with great fanfare.
- At end, you can attend Christmas services in cathedral.
- Attend any of numerous “spiritual seminars” held throughout Pakistan this time of year.
- As people in Pakistan seek to reflect on meaning of Christmas season, special seminars on related themes are major help in their doing so.
- You can join in as well if you wish.
- Visit Christian neighborhood where you can often see numerous manger scenes gathered together on street corner.
- These are “entries” in local manger decorating contests.
- You may also wish to stroll along and see house decorations and lights.
In Pakistan, it sometimes called “Bara Din”. It means “The big day” because it is of great importance to the Christian population living there. And many Pakistanis who live abroad will fly home for this season. For this reason, you will be wise to book your flights early.
Conclusion:
Christmas is celebrate on December 25 and both sacre religious holiday. It is a worldwide cultural and commercial phenomenon. For two millennia, people around world have been observing it with traditions and practices that are both religious and secular in nature. Christians celebrate This Day as the anniversary of the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, a spiritual leader whose teachings form the basis of their religion. December 25 this Day has been federal holiday in United States since 1870.