MERRY CHRISTMAS

Christmas is an annual celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ and a widely observed holiday, celebrated generally on December 25 with great enthusiasm and gaiety all over the world.  It is largely characterized by exchanging gifts within the families and by gifts brought by Santa Clause and other mythical figures like Saint Nicholas, Saint Basil etc.  Christmas is not among the most primitive festival of Christians.  The exact date of his birth is unanimously fixed.  According to Eastern Christianity the original date of celebration was January 6.

There is a difference of 13 days between modern Georgian calendar and older Julian calendar.  Now, Christmas is celebrated on 25 Dec by Catholic, Protestant and most orthodox churches.  The celebratory customs associated in various countries with Christmas have a mix of Pre-Christian, Christian and secular themes.  In UK, Christmas season traditionally runs for twelve days.  It’s a period of feasting and merry making which ends on the twelfth night i.e. Christmas eve.  Whereas, in USA celebration begins many weeks before and continues up to New Year’s Day.

The popular customs related to Christmas includes, the Christmas tree, the Christmas ham, gift giving, Christmas music and caroling, exchange of Christmas cards, church celebrations etc.  The most important part of the festival is decorating Christmas tree.  It is planted at one corner of the house and then decorated with toys like dolls, birds, flowers, paper cuttings.  At night candles and electric bulbs are lighted on its branches

Christmas Eve is the time for family get together and to see people of all ages to have fun together.  Many families go off to church together celebrate midnight mass.  Some families go around to the streets, to hospitals and other such places singing carols.  At the end of the day, people exchange gifts and offer prayers.