How do we celebrate Christmas
Christmas is undoubtedly one of the most celebrated festivals in the world. It is a public holiday, and most of the businesses and schools are closed, some even for a week. It is celebrated to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world.
Christmas celebrations may vary depending on the culture and topography of the place. Many celebrate by decorating their homes, visiting their loved ones and exchanging gifts. Decorating a Christmas tree is customary in many families as well as preparing a meal consisting of turkey and a lot of other festive food.
Children specially love this festival because they get to receive presents from their parents and family who sometimes disguise themselves as Santa Claus for amusement or just to see the reaction of their loved ones, which has led Christmas to become increasingly commercialized.
Many Sunday schools, churches and communities organize special events. These can include decorating the neighborhood or a shopping mall, putting up a Christmas tree and planning a Nativity display, concert or performance. A lot of plays and songs have a aspect of Christmas as a theme. Some groups arrange meals, shelter or charitable projects for people without a home or with very little money.
Where did Christmas traditions originate?
In northern countries, when the nights were long and cold, the feast of Christmas traditionally gave people hope and something to look forward to-rich food (lamb, pork and mutton), candles, and catholic mass at midnight. Fir trees were brought inside and lit with candles as a symbol of the hope that spring would return with new crops and plentiful food.
It is also an interesting coincidence that the Jewish Festival of Lights, Hanukkah, falls in November or December each year, and is celebrated with the lighting of the candelabra (menorah), traditional foods, games and gifts.
Christmas in the modern era.
Some states in the southern hemisphere celebrate Christmas in summer. A family barbecue at the beach cannot really capture the atmosphere of a cold and dark mid-winter. That could be the main reason for the emergence of “Christmas in July”. Gifting presents, playing games, drinking eggnog straight form the bottle are some traditions that people like to follow.
Our gifts are also reminiscent of the tributes that the three Magi
-who symbolize, according to tradition, the non-Jewish peoples
– gave to the infant Jesus.
The Magi gave Jesus gold, frankincense and myrrh, when they understood that the baby they were looking at was both human and the son of God. That mystery at least remains intact.