Michael Wazir
Christmas is a key festival of Christians commemorating the miraculous birth of Lord Jesus Christ; it is observed on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of Christians around the world. The festival has surpassed the religious boundaries and is equally loved and cherished by all religions. Christmas festival promotes happiness, prosperity, brotherhood, and fraternity among people. It is the period of the highest annual church attendance.
Christmas is the time of light and joy, in which this ancient story takes center stage in churches through songs, sermons and Nativity plays. An infant in a manger, a brilliant star, and adoring shepherds; all are familiar parts of the Christmas story. The exchanging of gifts is one of the core aspects of the modern Christmas celebration, making it the most profitable time of year for retailers and businesses throughout the world.
Essentially, there are three different days on which one can celebrate Christmas. The first day of celebration is the day before Christmas, which is known as Christmas Eve. It is celebrated on December 24 every year. The second day is Christmas Day, which is celebrated on December 25, and the third day is known as Boxing Day, celebrated the day after Christmas on December 26
Different types of decorations developed across the Christian world, depending on local tradition and available resources, and can vary from simple representations of the crib to far more elaborate sets – renowned manger scene traditions. The traditional colours of Christmas decorations are Red, Green, and Gold. Red symbolizes the blood of Jesus, which was shed in his crucifixion, while green symbolizes eternal life, and in particular, the evergreen tree, which does not lose its leaves in the winter, and gold is the first colour associated with Christmas, as one of the three gifts of the Magi, symbolizing royalty.
Christmas Carols:
Christmas songs stand as one of the most important pillars of holiday music and a great way for getting into the Christmas spirit. “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel, Here We Come A-Wassailing, Deck the Halls” are the special Carols song which are sung during the Christmas season. The songs are about Jesus and the time when he was born.
Christmas Cake
It is a cake that pops up in our minds whenever we think of celebrating Christmas. A Christmas cake is a heavy cake containing much-dried fruit and usually has a covering of icing. It is made to be eaten at Christmas. It is also called a fruit cake. The Christmas cake is a December highlight that brings the family together. Homemade traditional plum cakes, cupcakes, and muffins are the special treats on Christmas.
Christmas Tree
A Christmas without the Christmas trees is incoherent. The fragrance and essence of the X-Mass trees have been an integral part of the celebrations as well as of the family unit since time immemorial. The celebration usually begins with the selection of the tree and carries on with the decorations till the day of Christ, when all the revelry takes place in front of this very tree. Gifts are placed under the tree, as family and friends gather around to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ
Santa Claus:
The beginning of gift-giving during Christmas started from the three wise men, with their three gifts for the Christ child. Since then people have made up different things to tell their children where their Christmas presents came from. The historical Saint Nicholas was known in early Christian legends for saving storm-tossed sailors, standing up for children, and giving gifts to the poor.
The festival encourages us to make merry and be happy. Because there had never been another such birth, and there will never be another one, because of the weight that Jesus birth through Virgin Mary.
The prophecy in the book of Isaiah referring to the birth of Jesus came several years before it actually happened, and when it happened, it was a glorious event! Christmas is a great reminder that God fulfills His prophecies and His promises and through Jesus, the Father provides a way for people to renew their relationship with God.
For Christians, believing that God came into the world in the form of man to atone for the sins of humanity, rather than knowing Jesus’ exact birth date. The New Testament does not provide us with the exact date of birth of Jesus. December 25 was first celebrated as Jesus’ birthday in 221 by Sextus Julius Africanus. The central theme of Christmas celebrations is to have a spirit of sharing, kindness, and empathy towards one another.
Jesus’ birth was the Incarnation of the Highest God, Creator of the world. The Christmas story is recounted in the Gospel of Mathew and Luke. In the days when Herod was the king of Judea, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth in Galilee to announce to a virgin named Marry who was betrothed to a man named Joseph, that a child would be born to her and she was to name him Jesus, for he would be the son of God and rule over Israel forever. Joseph intended to divorce her quietly, but the angel Gabriel visited Joseph and told him in a dream that Mary would be miraculously pregnant from Lord and that she would have a son named Jesus who would save the people from their sins. He should take Mary as his wife and name the child Jesus. This would fulfill the prophecy of a virgin birth where the son would be known as Emmanuel, meaning ‘God is with us’ Joseph awoke and did all that the angel commanded.
When the time of the birth drew near, Caesar Augustus commanded a census of Roman domains, and Joseph took Mary to Bethlehem, the ancient city of David. When Joseph and Mary arrived in the city, the inn had no room and so they were offered a stable where the Christ Child was soon born, the infant Jesus was born in stable, and angels of God appeared to a group of shepherds and told them that a Saviour had been born to Marry and Joseph in Bethlehem. in accordance with messianic prophecies, the shepherds immediately went to find Baby Jesus, which the angels told them they would find sleeping in the manger, the shepherds came and worshipped him as Messiah and Lord. After some time, Three Wise Men, also known as Magi, saw the brilliant star in the sky that rested over where Jesus was born. These wise men traveled from a distant eastern country to find the new king. They followed a wondrous star, which led them to the baby Jesus. The Wise Men paid homage to the new child and presented gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. When they had departed, an angel again appeared to Joseph in a dream and warned him to take the child and his mother and flee to Egypt, for Herod intended to kill him. The Holy family remained in Egypt until Herod died. After Herod’s death, an angel of the Lord appeared again to Joseph in a dream and tells him that it is safe to take his family back home.
Christmas reminds us of the importance of giving and sharing with friends and family. Through Christmas, we know that Jesus’ birth is the beginning of a great thing in the world. It is generally an opportunity to think about nature and the reason for our existence. Christmas is such a festival that people from all religions and faith celebrate worldwide despite it being a Christian festival. It is the essence of this festival that unites the people so much.
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