Christmas-
is a religious and cultural festival celebrated by billions of people worldwide on December 25th each year to honour the birth of Jesus Christ. It is the main celebration of the Christian worship calendar, starting on Christmastide, which lasts for twelve days and ends on the twelfth night. It comes after Advent or the time of Jesus’ birth.
Christmas Day is a public holiday observed by many nations. It is an essential component of the holiday season and is observed religiously by the majority of Christians and culturally by many non-Christians.
The classic Christmas tale, as told in the New Testament, shows how Jesus was born in Bethlehem, fulfilling the Messiah’s promises. The inn was full when Joseph and Mary arrived in the city, so they stayed there. Jesus was born in the manger that was made available. Shepherds received this news from angels, who then shared it with others.
The date of Jesus’ birth is subject to several interpretations, but in the early fourth century, the church decided on December 25. This date coincides with the Roman calendar’s customary date of the winter solstice. It occurs on March 25, which is also the Vernal Equinox, approximately nine months after the announcement. The majority of Christians observe Christmas on December 25th in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, which is almost widely used in civil calendars around the globe. On the other hand, December 25th in the outdated Julian calendar—January 7th in the Gregorian calendar—is how certain Eastern Christian churches celebrate Christmas.
Rather than focusing on the exact birthdate of Jesus, Christmas is primarily seen as a celebration of the belief that God came into the world in human form to atone for the sins of humanity.
CHURCHES-
Christmas Day is a major celebration in the Anglican Communion, a feast in the Roman Catholic Church, and a festival in Lutheran churches. Even if other Christian religions do not rank their festival days, Christmas Eve and Day are nevertheless significant to them, just like other Christian holidays like Pentecost, Easter, and Ascension Day. A big part of appreciating the significance of the Christmas season for many Christians is attending the church service on Christmas Eve or Day. The two holidays with the biggest yearly church attendance are Christmas and Easter. Six in ten Americans attend church services during this time, per a 2010 LifeWay Christian Resources survey. The Church of England in the United Kingdom announced that an estimated 25 million people attended Christmas services.
SEVERAL CONTROVERSIES-
Christmas has frequently been the target of debate and criticism from both Christian and non-Christian sources. It was historically outlawed in the Puritan-dominated New England and during the English Commonwealth (1647–1660). The Puritans prohibited the event in 1659 on the grounds that it wasn’t referenced in the Bible and was therefore a transgression. Within the regulating principles of worship, changes were made. Under Presbyterian influence, the Scottish Parliament passed multiple measures between 1637 and 1690 outlawing the celebration of Christmas; as a result, Scotland did not observe Christmas Day as an official holiday until 1871. Based on their doctrinal beliefs and their current practices, interpretation, several conservative reformist churches, like the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America and the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland, oppose the celebration of Christmas.
This comes from a non-doctrinal place. Christmas festivities have also been outlawed by atheist nations like the Soviet Union and, more recently, by Muslim-majority nations like Somalia, Tajikistan, and Brunei.
The People’s Republic of China’s government has waged anti-religious efforts and openly supports state atheism. Before Christmastide in December 2018, authorities invaded Christian churches, forcing closures and taking down Santa Claus and Christmas trees.
NATIVITY OF JESUS-
The birth of Jesus to the Virgin Mary in Bethlehem is described in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. According to Luke’s Gospel, Jesus is born in a manger in Bethlehem after Joseph and Mary journey there for the census from Nazareth. Three shepherds approach him in adoration as angels declare him to be the Saviour of humanity. On the other hand, three wise men known as the Magi go to Bethlehem from a star in Matthew’s Gospel in order to present gifts for Jesus, the Jewish King. The family left for Egypt and eventually made their way back to Nazareth, but King Herod ordered the execution of all the boys in Bethlehem who were younger than two.