Christmas is celebrated every year on the 25th of December to mark the birth of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem. It is one of the most sacred festivals in Christianity and is celebrated across the globe with a lot of joy and fervor.
People spend the day listening to Christmas carols, eating delicious food and exchanging gifts with friends and family.
Read on to find out the history and significance of the day.
Christmas 2021: History
Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem to his parents, Joseph and Mary.
Jesus Christ is also said to be the second Holy Trinity of Christianity. It is believed that Christ was conceived through the Holy Spirit and was born when Mother Marry was still engaged to Joseph.
Moreover, while the month and the date of Christ's birth are unknown, it is believed to have to be early to mid-fourth century. Hence, there are several different opinions suggesting why 25 December was designated the birth date of Jesus Christ.
Some believe that 25 December was deemed as the birthday of Christ because according to ancient Roman belief, 25 December fell under the winter solstice and acted as a symbol of the resurgence of the sun. Therefore, Christian writers of the time equated the birth of sun to birth of the Lord.
However, another opinion suggests that since Jesus was conceived on the fourth day of the creation of the world i.e. 25 March, his birth date should be 25 December due to the 9 months difference.
Nevertheless, it was the Western Christian Church that ultimately declared 25 December as Christmas. But what is interesting to note is that in 221, Sextus Julius Africanus also identified 25 December as the birth date of Jesus.
Christmas 2021: Significance
Christmas is not just a religious festival but also one where a Christian is supposed to connect spiritually with the Lord Almighty. It is a day where one commemorates the nativity of Jesus and attempts to attain purity and devotion.
Therefore, the significance of Christmas is enormous as Christians believe that on this day, God sent his son on earth to redeem the people of this world from their sins and show them the right path.
Christmas 2021: Common Rituals
Some common rituals of Christmas include visiting people's houses in small groups and singing Christmas carols. People also decorate their houses on this auspicious day with their very own Christmas tree, wreaths, candy canes, holly, mistletoe, and stockings.
Hanging mistletoe has also become a popular tradition as it acts as a symbol of peace and love.
People also attend midnight mass at churches on Christmas eve and make donations to the needy.
The tale of Santa Claus also involves children leaving warm milk and cookies for Santa at night in the hope of receiving gifts from him. Children are often told that Santa, or St Nicholas, resides in the North Pole and travels all over the world on Christmas eve to distribute gifts. Thus, children often leave socks to receive gifts and a glass of milk for Santa before they go to bed.
Lastly, people also exchange gifts, bake cookies together and spend this day with their loved ones.
We at The Quint wish you a very Happy Christmas.
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