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Encyclopedia Christmas [Christ‘s Mass], in the Christian calendar, feast of the nativity of Jesus, celebrated in Roman Catholic and Protestant Churches on Dec. 25. In liturgical importance it ranks afterEaster,Pentecost, andEpiphany (Jan. 6).
The observance probably does not date earlier than A.D. 200 and did not become widespread until the 4th cent. The date was undoubtedly chosen for its nearness to Epiphany, which, in the East, originally included a commemoration of the nativity. The date of Christmas coincides closely with the winter solstice in the Northern hemisphere, a time of rejoicing among many ancient cultures. Christmas, as the great popular festival of Western Europe, dates from the Middle Ages. In England after the Reformation the observance became a point of contention between Anglicans and other Protestants, and the celebration of Christmas was suppressed in Scotland and in much of New England until the 19th cent.
In the mid 19th cent. Christmas began to acquire its associations with an increasingly secularized holiday of gift-giving and good cheer, a view that was popularized in works such as Clement ClarkeMoore‘s poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas” (1823) and Charles Dickens‘s story A Christmas Carol (1843). Christmas cards first appeared c.1846. The current concept of a jolly Santa Claus was first made popular in New York in the 19th cent. (seeNicholas, Saint).
The Yule Log [Yule, from O.E.,=Christmas], the boar‘s head, the goose (in America the turkey), decoration with holly, hawthorn, wreaths, mistletoe, and the singing of carols by waifs (Christmas serenaders) are all typically English (seecarol). Gifts at Christmas are also English; elsewhere they are given at other times, e.g., at Epiphany in Spain. The Christmas tree was a tradition from the Middle Ages in Germany. The crib (crèche) with the scene at Bethlehem was popularized by the Franciscans. The midnight service on Christmas Eve is a popular religious observance in the Roman Catholic and some Protestant churches.
See alsoAdvent andTwelfth Night.
Bibliography
See M. Hadfield and J. Hadfield, The Twelve Days of Christmas (1961); P. L. Restad, Christmas in America (1995).
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Appropriate for the Christian holiday of Christmas
4 Points - Foolproof Roast TurkeyFrom WW magazine -- posted bymariposa13
Cheese SoupThis is a creamy soup that is real comfort food on a cold Fall or wintery day. -- posted by*maryL*
Cranberry Ginger ChutneyThis is so delicious with turkey or pork. I strongly suggest to double or even triple the recipe. Plan ahead, this needs to chill overnight before using. This can be prepared up to a week in advance. Although I have only made this using fresh cranberries, I would think that frozen would work also. -- posted byKITTENCAL
Roast Tomato and Balsamic MayonnaiseFabulous drizzled over pan fried fish. -- posted byJewelies
Rainbow RoundsPerfect for bake exchanges because it makes a huge batch! From Parents Magazine December 2003 Prep time does not include chilling the dough. -- posted by~*Pamela*~in Winnipeg
Peppermint SnowballsGreat for Christmas Bake Exchanges! From Parents Magazine December 2003. -- posted by~*Pamela*~in Winnipeg
Black Forest BrowniesOkay, there are plenty of recipes for Black Forest Cake, but none for Black Forest Brownies! This is so easy! So here it is! The brownie mix should be enough to fit a 13"x9" pan(the size of the package is estimated). Adapted from Country Woman magazine. -- posted bySharon123
Ginger CookiesFound on the internet and not tested. -- posted byAndres
Mint MeringuesThese little white puffs of decadence are so festive for Christmas when the candy canes are plentiful. This would also be great for a gift in a pretty Christmas tin tucked away in some tissue paper. -- posted byRedneck Epicurean
Eggnog for DiabeticsI have never had eggnog. My mom makes custard every year and I look forward to it. Because I‘m always on the lookout for diabetic friendly recipes, I tripped across this one in a TOH Annual recipes compilation. I hope it‘s good. It will also double easily and probably not be one of those things that people can tell a difference in if you alter the sugar content. I have never tried this, so if it is no good, it will evaporate and go to that recipe box in the sky. So with that, I raise my little cup of eggnog and say, "God Bless Us...EVERYONE!" -- posted byRedneck Epicurean
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Literature
Christmas
A festival commemorating the birth ofJesus, traditionally celebrated on December 25 by most WesternChristianchurches. Although dating to probably as early as a.d. 200, the feast of Christmas did not become widespread until theMiddle Ages. Today, Christmas is largely secularized and dominated by gifts, decorated trees, and a jolly Santa Claus.
WordNet
Note: click on a word meaning below to see its connections and related words.
The verb christmas has one meaning:
Meaning #1: spend Christmas
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Christmas (literally, theMass ofChrist) is aholiday in theChristian calendar, usually observed onDecember 25, which celebrates the birth ofJesus. According to the Christiangospels, Jesus was born toMary inBethlehem, where she and her husbandJoseph had travelled to register in theRomancensus. Christ‘s birth, ornativity, was said by his followers to fulfill theprophecies ofJudaism that amessiah would come, from the house ofDavid, to redeem the world fromsin. Early Christians celebrated more the subsequentEpiphany, when the baby Jesus was visited by theMagi. Efforts to assign a date for his birth began some centuries later. The precisechronology of Jesus‘ birth and death as well as thehistoricity of Jesus are still debated.
In predominantly Christian countries, Christmas has become the most economically significant holiday of the year, and it is also celebrated as asecular holiday in many countries with small Christian populations. It is largely characterized by exchanging gifts within families, and by gifts brought bySanta Claus or other mythical figures. Local and regional Christmas traditions are still rich and varied, despite the widespread influence ofAmerican andBritish Christmas motifs through literature, television, and other media.
"Christmas" is a contraction of "Christ‘s Mass", derived from the Old English Cristes mæsse. It is often abbreviatedXmas, possibly because the letter X resembles theGreek letterΧ (Chi), which is the first letter of "Christ" as spelled in Greek (Χριστός [Christos]).
The story of Christmas

Joseph andMary with babyJesus, at "the first Christmas"
The story of Christ‘s birth has been handed down for centuries, based primarily on the Christian gospels ofMatthew andLuke. The gospels of Mark and John do not address the childhood of Jesus, and those of Matthew and Luke give somewhat differing accounts, Luke‘s being closest to the public impression of the Christmas story and the version most often read in Christmas services.
According to Luke, Mary learned from an angel that she was with child, by virtue of impregnation without intercourse by theHoly Spirit. Shortly thereafter, she and her husband Joseph left their Nazareth home to travel to Joseph‘s ancestral home, Bethlehem of Judea, to enroll in the census ordered by the Roman emperor,Augustus. Finding no room in inns in the town, they set up primitive lodgings in a stable. There Mary gave birth to Jesus in amanger, which has been translated in various ways, most commonly a feeding trough or stall. Christ‘s birth in Bethlehem of Judea, the home of the house of David from which Joseph was descended, fulfilled the prophecy ofIsaiah.
Matthew‘s gospel begins by recounting the genealogy and virgin birth of Jesus, and then skips to the coming of theWise Men from the East to the home where Christ was staying after his birth in Bethlehem of Judea. This leaves ambiguous at whose home they were staying and whether Mary and Joseph were residents of Nazareth or, as their access to a home in Bethlehem suggests, of Bethlehem. The wise men, orMagi, first arrived in Jerusalem and reported to the localKing Herod that they had seen a star heralding the birth of a king. Further inquiry led them to Bethlehem of Judea and the home of Mary and Joseph. They presented Jesus with treasures of "gold,frankincense, andmyrrh". While staying the night, each Wise Man had a dream that contained a divine warning that King Herod had murderous designs on the child. Resolving to hinder the ruler, they returned home without notifying Herod of the success of their mission. Matthew then reports that the family next fled to Egypt to escape the murderous rampage of Herod, who had decided to have the children of Bethlehem killed in order to eliminate any local rivals to his power. When Jesus and his family returned to Israel, it was then that they settled in Nazareth, where they believed they might live more anonymously.
Another aspect of Christ‘s birth which has passed from the gospels into popular lore is the announcement by angels to nearby shepherds of Jesus‘ birth . Some Christmas carols refer to the shepherds observing a huge star directly over Bethlehem, and following it to the birthplace. The Magi, who Matthew reports seeing a giant star as well, have been variously interpreted as "wise men" or as kings. They are supposed to have come from Arabia, where they could have gotten their gifts of "gold, frankincense, and myrrh". Astronomers and historians have sought with varying success to explain what combination of traceable celestial events might explain the appearance of a giant star that had never before been seen.1
The major gaps in narrative details between Matthew and Luke, the absence of any reference to Christ‘s birth in the other gospels, and the fact that even the accounts of Matthew and Luke were written decades later, without confirmation by eyewitnesses, have led to much speculation about the accuracy of these reports. As one of the tenets of their faith, Christians accept the veracity of the story of Christmas, apparent difficulties reconciling the different versions of events notwithstanding.
Dates of celebration
Christmas was not among the earliest festivals of the Christians. Efforts to fix a date for the birth of Christ began some two centuries after his death, as theCatholic Church began to establish its traditions. Christmas is now celebrated onDecember 25 in catholic, protestant, and most orthodox churches. TheCoptic,Jerusalem,Russian,Serbian andGeorgian orthodox churches celebrate Christmas onJanuary 7. This date results from their having accepted neither the reforms of theGregorian calendar nor theRevised Julian calendar, with their ecclesiastic December 25 thus falling on the civil (Gregorian) date ofJanuary 7 from1900 to2099. TheArmenian Church places much more emphasis on theEpiphany, the visitation by the Magi, than on Christmas.
Some scholars suggest that December 25 is a date of convenience chosen for other reasons, related to the time of Emperor Constantine. Prior to the celebration of Christmas, December 25th in the Roman world was the Natalis Solis Invicti, the Birthday of the Unconquerable Sun.
Dates for the more secular aspects of the Christmas celebration are similarly varied. In theUnited Kingdom, theChristmas season traditionally runs for twelve days following Christmas Day. Thesetwelve days of Christmas, a period of feasting and merrymaking, end onTwelfth Night, the Feast of theEpiphany. This period corresponds with the liturgical season of Christmas. Medieval laws in Sweden declared a Christmas peace (julefrid) to be twenty days, during which fines for robbery and manslaughter were doubled. Swedish children still celebrate a party, throwing out the Christmas tree (julgransplundring), on the 20th day of Christmas (January 13, Knut‘s day).
In practice, the Christmas period has grown longer in some countries, including theUnited States and the United Kingdom, and now begins many weeks before Christmas, allowing more time for shopping and get-togethers. It extends beyond Christmas Day up toNew Year‘s Day. This later holiday has its own parties. In some instances, includingScotland‘sHogmanay—which occurs at the New Year— it is celebrated more than Christmas.
Countries that celebrate Christmas on December 25th recognize the previous day asChristmas Eve, and vary on the naming of December 26th. In theNetherlands,Germany,Scandinavia, andPoland, Christmas Day and the following day are called First and Second Christmas Day. In manyEuropean andCommonwealth countries, December 26th is referred to asBoxing Day, while inIreland andRomania it is known asSt. Stephen‘s Day.
Customs and celebrations
An enormous number of customs, with either secular, religious, or national aspects, surround Christmas, and vary from country to country. Most of the familiar traditional practices and symbols of Christmas, such as theChristmas tree, theChristmas ham, theYule Log,holly,mistletoe, and the giving ofpresents, were adapted or appropriated by Christian missionaries from the earlierÁsatrúpagan midwinter holiday ofYule. This celebration of thewinter solstice was widespread and popular in northern Europe long before the arrival of Christianity, and the word for Christmas in the Scandinavian languages is still today the pagan jul (=yule). The Christmas tree is believed to have first been used in Germany.
Rather than attempting to suppress such popular pagan feast days,PopeGregory I allowed Christian missionaries to give them a Christian reinterpretation, while permitting most of the associated customs to continue with little or no modification.2 The give and take between religious and governmental authorities and celebrators of Christmas continued through the years. Places where conservative Christian theocracies flourished, as in Cromwellian England and in the early New England colonies, were among those where celebrations were suppressed.3 After theRussian Revolution, Christmas celebrations were banned in theSoviet Union for the next seventy-five years. A few present day Christian churches, notably theJehovah‘s Witnesses, somePuritan groups, and some ultra-conservativefundamentalist denominations, still view Christmas as a pagan holiday not sanctioned by the Bible, and do not celebrate it.
Secular customs

A house decorated for Christmas in Yate, England
Since the customs of Christmas celebration largely evolved in Northern Europe, many are associated with the Northern Hemisphere winter, whose motifs are prominent in Christmas decorations and in theSanta Claus myth.
Santa Claus and other bringers of gifts
Gift-giving is a near-universal part of Christmas celebrations. The concept of a mythical figure who brings gifts to children derives fromSaint Nicholas, a good heartedbishop of 4th-centuryAsia Minor. TheDutch modeled a gift-giving Saint Nicholas around his feast day of December 6. In North America, English colonists adopted aspects of this celebration into their Christmas holiday, andSinterklaas becameSanta Claus, or Saint Nick. In the UK, whilst this name is widely known, "Father Christmas" is more common, and is also used in many West African countries. In the Anglo-American tradition, this jovial fellow arrives on Christmas Eve on asleigh pulled byreindeer, climbs down the chimney, leaves gifts for the children, and eats the food they leave for him. He spends the rest of the year making toys and keeping lists on the behavior of the children.
TheFrench equivalent of Santa, Père Noël, evolved along similar lines, eventually adopting the Santa imageHaddon Sundblom painted for a worldwideCoca-Cola advertising campaign in the1930s. In some cultures Santa Claus is accompanied byKnecht Ruprecht, or Black Peter. In some versions,elves in a toy workshop make the holiday toys, and in some he is married toMrs. Claus. Many shopping malls in North America and the United Kingdom have a holiday mall Santa Claus whom children can visit to ask for presents.
A classic image of jolly old Saint Nick
In many countries, children leave empty containers for Santa to fill with small gifts such as toys, candy, or fruit. In theUnited States, children hang aChristmas stocking by the fireplace on Christmas Eve, because Santa is said to come down the chimney the night before Christmas to fill them. In other countries, children place their empty shoes out for Santa to fill on the night before Christmas, or for Saint Nicholas on December 5. Gift giving is not restricted to these special gift-bringers, as family members and friends also bestow gifts on each other.
Timing of gifts
In many countries, Saint Nicholas Day remains the principal day for gift giving. In much of Germany, children put shoes out on window sills on the night of December 5, and find them filled with candy and small gifts the next morning. In such places, including theNetherlands, Christmas day remains more a religious holiday. In other countries, includingSpain, gifts are brought by the Magi at Epiphany on6 January.
One of the many customs of gift timing is suggested by the songTwelve Days of Christmas, celebrating an old British tradition of gifts each day from Christmas to Epiphany. In most of the world, Christmas gifts are given at night on Christmas Eve, or in the morning on Christmas Day. Until the recent past, gifts were given in the UK to non-family members on Boxing Day.
Christmas cards
Christmas cards are extremely popular in the United States and Europe, in part as a way to maintain relationships with distant relatives and friends, and with business acquaintances. Many families enclose an annual family photograph, or a family newsletter telling activities of family members during the preceding year.
Decorations

Christmas tree in a German home
Decorating a Christmas tree withlights andornaments, and the decoration of the interior of the home with garlands andevergreen foliage, particularlyholly andmistletoe, are common traditions. In North and South America and to a lesser extent Europe, it is traditional to decorate the outside of houses with lights, and sometimes with illuminated sleighs, snowmen, and other Christmas figures.
The traditional Christmas flower is thepoinsettia. Other popular holiday plants areholly, redamaryllis andChristmas cactus.
Municipalities often sponsor decorations as well, hanging Christmas banners from street lights or placing Christmas trees in the town square. In the United States, decorations once commonly included religious themes. This practice has led to much adjudication, as opponents insist that it amounts to the government endorsing one particular religious faith.
Social aspects and entertainment
In many countries, businesses, schools, and communities have Christmas parties and dances during the several weeks before Christmas Day. Christmas pageants, common inLatin America, may include a retelling of the story of the birth of Christ. Groups may go carolling, visiting neighborhood homes to sing Christmas songs. Others are reminded by the holiday of man‘s fellowship with man, and do volunteer work, or hold fundraising drives for charities.
On Christmas Day or on Christmas Eve, a special meal ofChristmas dishes is usually served, for which there are traditional menus in each country. In some regions, particularly inEastern Europe, these family feasts are preceded by a period of fasting. Candy and treats are also part of the Christmas celebration in many countries.

Candy canes are a popular Christmas treat, and may double as a decoration or Christmas ornament
Religious customs and celebrations
The religious celebrations begin withAdvent, the anticipation of Christ‘s birth, around the start of December. These observations may include Advent carols and Advent calendars, sometimes containing sweets and chocolate for children. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day services may include a midnight mass or a Mass of the Nativity, and featureChristmas carols and hymns.
Other faiths have emphasized their own winter holidays to serve as a Christmas surrogate, includingJudaism‘sHanukkah, which has evolved a similar tradition of gift-giving. Christmas has some acceptance in theIslamic world, where Jesus is regarded as a prophet. Many secular aspects of Christmas are becoming common in developed Muslim nations.
Regional customs and celebrations
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Northern Europe

Christmas decoration
In Germany and the Netherlands, the celebration of Saint Nicholas Day resembles the Christmas of the English-speaking world. Sinterklaas brings presents on Sinterklaasavond, the evening of December 5, to good children. He wears a red bishop‘s dress with a red mitre, rides a white horse over the rooftops, and is assisted by many mischievous helpers called zwarte Pieten (black Peters). In some parts of Germany,Austria, andSwitzerland, the frighteningKnecht Ruprecht also appears, to the chagrin of many children.
In recent years, the Dutch have started to celebrate Christmas Eve with Santa as well. Shopkeepers prefer to start the Christmas season right after Sinterklaasavond, while others argue that the foreign, commercial Christmas impinges on the traditional Sinterklaas celebrations. Considering the ancestry of Santa Claus, Sinterklaas there is in competition with himself.
In Germany, Christmas traditions vary by region. Following Saint Nicholas Day, which is mostly for children, Christmas gift-giving usually takes place on Christmas eve, with gifts put under the Christmas tree. The feast typically takes place at lunch on December 25, and usually involves poultry (typically roast goose). The gifts may be brought by the Weihnachtsmann, who resembles St. Nicholas, or by theChristkind, a sprite-like child who may represent the baby Jesus. Commercially, theStriezelmarkt becomes a Christmas gift production center, boasting the specialities of theDresden region, from ceramics and prints to various delicacies which are shipped worldwide.
In Sweden and Denmark, businesses traditionally invite their employees to a Christmassmörgåsbord lunch (the julbord or jullunch. Julefrokost in Danish) in the weeks before Christmas. In recognition of the threat of holiday food poisoning, Swedish newspapers run seasonal laboratory tests of restaurant jullunches, warning of the danger of cold meats and mayonnaise left out at room temperature. The Christmas feast focuses on baked ham, but there are wide regional variations as to what day it is best served. The most entrenched and nationally unifying Swedish and Danish Christmas custom is perhaps that of watching aDisney special at 3 PM on Christmas Eve.
The Norwegian Christmas celebration begins with feasting on December 24, followed by a visit by Julenissen, who brings gifts to children who have behaved. After a quiet December 25, another large celebration follows onBoxing Day, when children may go door to door to receive treats and money from neighbors. Joulupukki (or Christmas Goat) is theFinnish Santa Claus. He travels with a sleigh and reindeer to deliver gifts to good children.
Southern Europe
Modern traditions combine with holdovers from their Roman forebears in the celebrations of Natale, theItalian Christmas. The pagan feast of Saturnalia coincides with the Christian advent, and the holiday season spans from then through Epiphany. Food, religious observances, nativity displays, and gift-giving are prominent. In some regions, presents are brought on Epiphany by La Befana, and in others by Baby Jesus on Christmas day or eve. In recent years Babbo Natale, a Santa Claus-like figure, is becoming more common.

Christmas ship decoration in Greece
InGreece, a ship is the traditional symbol of Christmas, though the tree has been imported.
Central Europe
In theCzech Republic, Christmas is celebrated mainly onDecember 24, or Christmas Eve - Štědrý den, or "open-handed day", when the gifts are given in the evening.December 25 and26 are also holidays. Gifts are brought by Ježíšek, or "little Jesus". Old traditions include fasting on Christmas Eve until a ceremonial dinner is served, in order to be able to see a "golden pig". The gifts are displayed under the Christmas tree (usuallyspruce orpine), and people unpack them after the dinner.
Other Czech Christmas traditions involve predictions. Apples are cut crosswise; if a star appears in the core, the next year will be successful, while a cross suggests a bad year. Girls throw shoes over their shoulders; if the toe points to the door, the girl will get married. Another tradition requires pouring molten lead into water and guessing a message from the shapes that appear when it hardens.
InPoland, Christmas Eve is a day first of fasting, then of feasting. The feast begins with the appearance of the first star, and is followed by the exchange of gifts. There are many other traditions in connection with the Christmas Eve supper. It is inevitable that there are 12 dishes on the table and that there is a free place for an unexpected guest. There is straw under the table cloth which is meant to symbolise the place of birth of Christ. No meat except fish is eaten on that day. It is a very popular custom to attend the midnight mass calledPasterka. The following day is often spent visiting friends or celebrated with a family dinner.
Christmas inSlovakia is largely a celebration of family, food, and religious observation. In2001 a massive nativity scene was constructed and displayed inBratislava‘s Plavecky Stvrtok, with plans to disassemble it for future displays in other cities.
InBelarus Christmas is celebrated twice, onDecember 25 and onJanuary 7, because the country has significant populations of both Catholic and Orthodox faiths. Both dates are official holidays.
Russia
In Eastern Europe,Slavic countries have Ded Moroz ("Grandfather Frost"), who travels in a magicaltroika, a decorated sleigh drawn by three horses, and delivers gifts to children. He is thought to descend more from Santa Claus than fromSaint Nicholas.
Christmas celebration in Russia has been revived since1992, after decades of government suppression. It centers on the Christmas Eve "Holy Supper", which consists of twelve servings, one to honor each of Jesus‘ apostles. Russians kept some traditions alive by shifting them to New Year‘s Day, including the visit by gift-giving "Grandfather Frost" and his "Snowmaiden". Many current customs, including their Christmas tree, or yolka, were brought byPeter the Great, after his western travels in the late18th century.
United Kingdom

Children have long been a part of the celebration.
Christmas crackers form an integral part of Christmas celebrations, and the Christmaspantomime is popular with young families. The festival ofNine Lessons and Carols atKing‘s College,Cambridge is a popular religious programme. Every year since1947 the city ofOslo has presented the British aspruce tree as a token of appreciation for British support during theSecond World War. It stands inTrafalgar Square and is the most famous Christmas tree in Britain. The usual Christmas dinner meal isturkey, withchristmas pudding or Christmas cakes, often decorated with white icing, as dessert. In theUnited Kingdom Christmas is sometimes referred to affectionately by the slang terms Crimble orCrimbo.
North America
In the United States and Canada, the Santa Claus traditions are essentially the same, except in Quebec, where Père Noël may appear. The Christmas tree and skating rink atRockefeller Center inNew York City, and theWhite House Christmas decorations are hallmarks of the U.S. Christmas.NORAD "tracks" Santa Claus‘ global transit each year, to wide attention by the mass media.
The focus of secular Christmas inMexico is the posada. Over a nine day period, groups of townspeople go from door to door, symbolic of visitors to the baby Jesus, and are periodically called inside homes to participate in the breaking of a gift-filledpiñata.
South America
Religious themes predominate in heavily-CatholicSouth America. The secular customs and gift-giving in these countries are an admixture of traditions handed down from European and Native American forebears, plus the increasing influence of American culture.
Gift giving traditions include El Niño Jesus (Baby Jesus), who brings gifts to children inColombia,Chile‘s Viejo Pasquero (Old Man Christmas), andBrazil‘s Papai Noel. The latter two resemble Santa Claus. South American "Santas" dress more lightly in keeping with their warmer Christmas, and have adopted a number of means, from ladders to trampolines, to enter homes at night. Gift giving inArgentina occurs on January 6, or "Three Kings Day," when children leave shoes under their beds to be filled with snacks or small gifts by the Magi, who stop off on their way to Bethlehem.
Nativity scenes are featured in South American Christmas, both in homes and in public places. In regions with large numbers of Native American descendants, such asPeru, the figures are often hand-carved in a centuries-old style. As in Mexico, village processions acting out the events surrounding the birth of Christ are also common. Family Christmas meals are important, their contents as varied as the number of South American countries. Christmas lights are a nearly universal, and with the summery weather, fireworks displays are also found, especially over the cities ofBrazil.
Asia
ThePhilippines celebrates the world‘s longest Christmas season and, like other countries influenced by hispanic culture, the nativity scene is highly visible and lamp posts are decorated with parol (christmas lanterns). Christmas Day is ushered in by the nine-day dawn masses that start on December 16, but unofficially the season starts as far back asSeptember. These Misas de Aguinaldo (Gallo) (Gift Masses) are more popularly known in Filipino as Simbang Gabi. Christmas Eve is the much-anticipated noche buena—the traditional Christmas feast after midnight mass. Family members dine together on traditional fare, which includes the queso de bola (ball of cheese) and hamon (Christmas ham). On Christmas Day children visit their godparents to seek aguinaldos (gifts). The godparents also bless them for a prosperous and joyful life.
InSouth Korea and inTimor-Leste, where there are large Christian populations, Christmas is an official holiday. InTaiwan,December 25 is the date of the signing of theConstitution of the Republic of China in1947. The official holiday on that date is largely treated as if it were Christmas.
Japan has largely adopted the western Santa Claus for its secular Christmas celebration, but their New Year‘s Day is more important. The Christmas festival is largely for lovers, and eclipses the country‘s twoValentine‘s Days.
InIndia, most educational institutions have a Christmas vacation, beginning shortly before Christmas and ending a few days after New Year‘s Day. Christmas is known as bada din (the big day) inHindi, and revolves around Santa Claus and shopping. Christmas is an official holiday in almost all states. The festive season is celebrated with pomp and vigor in places likeBombay andGoa. Other states are catching up with Christmas celebrations in a bid to attract tourists.
Other Southern Hemisphere regions

The winter-bloomingpoinsettia, originally from Mexico, has become an international symbol of Christmastime.
InCommonwealth countries in thesouthern hemisphere, Christmas occurs at the height of their summer season. This clashes with the traditional winter iconography, and leads to such oddities as Santas arriving by surfboard to awaiting crowds onAustralia‘sBondi Beach.
Carols by Candlelight started inMelbourne in 1938 and spread around the world. People gather outdoors to sing carols by candlelight on Christmas Eve or another evening shortly before Christmas.
see also:list of winter festivals andChristmas around the world
Christmas in the arts and media
Main article:Christmas in the media
Many fictional Christmas stories capture the spirit of Christmas in a modern-dayfairy tale, often with heart-touching stories of a Christmasmiracle. Several have become part of the Christmas tradition in their countries of origin.

Unlike many films, which date rapidly, Christmas movies are the reliable annuals of the movie business.
Tchaikovsky‘sThe Nutcracker ballet tells of a Christmas ornament come to life in a young Russian girl‘s dream.Charles Dickens‘A Christmas Carol is the tale of curmudgeonly miserEbenezer Scrooge. Scrooge rejects compassion and philanthropy, and Christmas as a symbol of both, until he is visited by the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future, who show him the consequences of his ways. Dickens is sometimes credited with shaping the modern Christmas of English-speaking countries (tree, plum pudding, carols, etc.) and the movement to close businesses on Christmas day.
Thomas Nast andClement Moore provided the English-speaking countries with their popular images of Santa Claus. Nast‘s 19th-century cartoons gave Santa his familiar form (Harper‘s Weekly, 1863), while Moore‘s poemA Visit from Saint Nicholas (Sentinel, 1823, popularly known as The Night Before Christmas) supplied the rotund Santa and his sleigh landing on rooftops on Christmas Eve.
In 1881, the Swedish magazine Ny Illustrerad Tidning publishedViktor Rydberg‘s poem Tomten featuring the first painting byJenny Nyström of this traditional Swedish mythical character (tomte, elf, goblin) which she turned into the white-bearded friendly figure associated with Christmas. It was further developed in 1931 byHaddon Sundblom for the Coca-Cola Company.
Although these Christmas icons have become widespread through television and movies, Christmas is still a time when national traditions are strong, and both Santa‘s appearance and the stories told vary from country to country. Some Scandinavian Christmas stories are less cheery than Dickens‘, notablyH. C. Andersen‘s "The Little Match Girl". The destitute little slum girl walks barefoot through snow-covered streets on Christmas Eve, trying in vain to sell her matches, and peeking in at the celebrations in the homes of the more fortunate. She dares not go home because her father is drunk. Unlike the principals of anglophone Christmas lore, she meets a tragic end.
Many Christmas stories have been popularized asmovies andTV specials. Since the1980s, their many video editions are sold and re-sold every year during the holiday season. A notable example is the filmIt‘s a Wonderful Life, the theme of which mirrors A Christmas Carol. Its hero, George Bailey, is a businessman who sacrificed his dreams to help his community. On Christmas Eve, a guardian angel finds him in despair and prevents him from committing suicide, by magically showing him how much he meant to the world around him.
A few true stories have become enduring Christmas tales. The story behind the Christmas carol "Silent Night" and the story of "Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus" are among the most well-known of these.
Radio and television also cultivate Christmas themes. Radio stations broadcastChristmas carols andChristmas songs, including classical music such as the Hallelujah chorus fromHandel‘sMessiah. Among other classical Christmas pieces are theNutcracker Suite, adapted from Tchaikovsky‘s ballet score, andJohann Sebastian Bach‘s Christmas Oratorio (BWV 248). Television networks add Christmas themes, run traditional holiday movies, and produce a variety of Christmas specials.
Economics of Christmas
Christmas is typically the largest annual stimulus for the economies of celebrating nations. Sales increase in almost all retail areas and shops introduce new products, as people purchase gifts, decorations, and supplies. In the United States, the Christmas shopping season now begins onBlack Friday, the day afterThanksgiving. Christmas Day is the only day in the year that some shops and businesses are closed. The economic impact continues after the holiday, with Christmas sales and New Year‘s sales, when stores sell off excess inventories.
Manyfundamentalist Christians, as well as anti-consumerists, decry the "commercialization" of Christmas. They accuse the Christmas season of being dominated by money and greed, at the expense of the holiday‘s more important values. Frustrations over these issues and others can lead to a rise in Christmastime social problems.
In North America, studios release many high-budget movies in the holiday season, both to capture holiday crowds and to position themselves forOscars. Next to summer, this is the second-most lucrative season for the industry. Christmas movies generally open no later than late November, as their themes are not so popular once the season is over.
Social impact of Christmas
Because of the focus on celebration, friends, and family, people who are without these, or who have recently suffered losses, are more likely to suffer fromdepression during Christmas. This increases the demands for counseling services during the period.
Suicide andmurder rates may spike during the holiday season, but the peak months for suicide are May and June. Because of holiday celebrations involvingalcohol,drunk driving-related fatalities may also increase.
Non-Christians in predominantly Christian nations may be left bereft of entertainment around Christmas. The cliché recreation for them is "movies andChinese food"; movie theaters remaining open to bring in holiday dollars and Chinese restaurants being less likely to be closed.
Theories regarding the origin of the date of Christmas
Related article:Chronology of Jesus‘ birth and death

Wise Men visitingJesus onTwelfth Night after his birth on Christmas
Many different dates have been suggested for the celebration of Christmas. No explanation of why it is celebrated on December 25 is universally accepted. Theories include the following:
TheCatholic Encyclopedia article on "Christmas" (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/03724b.htm) offers a starting-point for Christmas, which does not appear among the earliest lists of Christian feasts, those ofIrenaeus andTertullian. The earliest evidence of celebration is from Alexandria, about AD 200, whenClement of Alexandria says that certain Egyptian theologians "over curiously" assign not just the year but the actual day of Christ‘s birth.4,on 25 Pachon (May 20) in the twenty-eighth year of Augustus. By the time of theCouncil of Nicaea, AD 325 the Alexandrian church had fixed a dies Nativitatis et Epiphaniae. The December feast reached Egypt in the 5th century. In Jerusalem,Egeria the 4th-century pilgrim from Bordeaux, witnessed the feast of the Presentation, forty days after January 6, which must have been the date of the Nativity there. AtAntioch, probably in 386, StJohn Chrysostom urged the community to unite in celebrating Christ‘s birth on December 25, a part of the community having already kept it on that day for at least ten years.
It is an appropriation by early Christians of a day on which the birth of several pagan gods,Osiris,Jupiter, andPlutus, or the ancient deified leaderNimrod, was celebrated.
It is an appropriation of the pagan Midwinter festivals, such as the GermanicYule and the Romanfestival of the birth of Unconquered Sun, celebrated on the day after thewinter solstice, or the Roman festival ofSaturnalia.
It derives from the tradition that Jesus was born during the Jewish Festival of Lights (Hanukkah, the 25th of Kislev and the beginning ofTevet). Kislev is generally accepted as corresponding with December. Under the Old Julian calendar, the popular choice of 5 BC for the year of Jesus‘s birth would place the 25th of Kislev on the 25th of November.
The date of Christmas is based on the date ofGood Friday, the day Jesus died. Since the exact date of Jesus‘ death is not stated in the Gospels, early Christians sought to calculate it, and arrived at either March 25 or April 6. To then calculate the date of Jesus‘ birth, they followed the ancient idea that Old Testament prophets died at an "integral age"—either an anniversary of their birth or of their conception. They reasoned that Jesus died on an anniversary of theIncarnation (his conception), so the date of his birth would have been nine months after the date of Good Friday—either December 25 or January 6. Thus, rather than the date of Christmas being appropriated from pagans by Christians, the opposite is held to have occurred. [See Duchesne (1902) and Talley (1986).]
It was appropriated from the birthday ofMithras, a savior figure of a Greco-Romanmystery religion that was popular with theRoman Legions.
See also
Christmas around the worldChristmas carolChristmas dishesChristmas seasonChristmas songChristmas treeFestivusGiftmasHanukkahKwanzaaPagan Beliefs Surrounding ChristmasYule
Notes
1. David van Biema, "Behind the First Noel", Time magazine, Dec.13, 2004, pp.49-61.
2. The8th-centuryEnglish historianBede‘sHistoria ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum ("Ecclesiastic History of the English People") contains a letter fromPopeGregory I toSaint Mellitus, who was then on his way to England to conduct missionary work among theheathenAnglo-Saxons. The Pope suggests that converting heathens is easier if they are allowed to retain the outward forms of their traditional pagan practices and traditions, while recasting those traditions spiritually towards the one true God instead of to their pagan gods (whom the Pope refers to as "devils"), "to the end that, whilst some gratifications are outwardly permitted them, they may the more easily consent to the inward consolations of the grace of God".[1] (http://www.englishheathenism.homestead.com/popesletter.html) The Pope sanctions such conversion tactics as Biblically acceptable, pointing out that God did much the same thing with the ancientIsraelites and their pagan sacrifices.
3. WhenOliver Cromwell took over England in1645, Christmas was cancelled as part of a Puritan effort to rid the country of decadence. This proved unpopular, and whenCharles II was restored to the throne, he restored the celebration. ThePilgrims, a group of Puritanical English separatists who came to North America in1620, also disapproved of Christmas, and as a result it was not a holiday in early America. The celebration of Christmas was actually outlawed from1659 to1681 in Boston, a prohibition enforced with a fine of five shillings. The people of theJamestown settlement, on the other hand, celebrated the occasion freely. Christmas fell out of favor again after theAmerican Revolution, as it was considered an "English custom", and it was not declared a federal holiday in the United States untilJune 26,1870.
4. In Stromateis, I, xxi in P.G., VIII, 888.
References
"Christmas" (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/03724b.htm) (1913). The Catholic Encyclopedia.
This article incorporates text from thepublic domainCatholic Encyclopedia.
"Christmas" (1975). The New Columbia Encyclopedia. New York and London: Columbia University Press.Christmas in South America (http://gosouthamerica.about.com/od/christmas/).Duchesne, Louis (1889). Les origines du culte chrétien: Etude sur la liturgie latine avant Charlemagne. Paris. Talley, Thomas J. (1986). The Origins of the Liturgical Year. New York: Pueblo Publishing Company. Time magazine, Dec. 13, 2004.
External links

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