When it comes to celebrating different festivals there are some prominent events throughout the year. One such joyous occasion falls on the 25th day of the last month of the year and is called Christmas.
It is celebrated as a Christian holiday but is rejoiced by people from different faiths. Several billions of people wait every year to exchange good wishes and have tasty meals together on such a day.
The eve of the previous day i.e. 24th is celebrated as Christmas Eve where people started revealing in the spirit of the festival and engaging in playful activities.
It was in the fourth century after Christ that first Christmas was celebrated as the day of nativity or birth of Jesus Christ. The day also marks the longest night of the year, also known as the winter solstice.
On the day there are special services and performances in the churches followed by an exchange of gifts and flowers. The tradition of gift-giving is also highlighted by the lore of Santa Claus who is supposed to be the bearer of gifts from the North Pole.
Another important ritual is to decorate a Christmas tree. This dates back the only a couple of centuries back but has resulted in a significant following as millions of pine, cedar, etc trees are decorated with colorful tassels, ornate cuttings, and shimmering lights.
There are also cultural activities like Christmas fair and ball dances etc which are organized to extend and reinstall the spirit of Christmas. This is also reinforced by various marketing strategies and media programming like Christmas movies etc.
The same is done at levels of schools etc where kids are encouraged to organize plays and performances to showcase their talent and generosity of spirit.
The theme of kindness and togetherness is expressed by the huge economic activity near the Christmas period. People from different walks of life buy expensive gifts and treat each other to delicious feasts.
This also prepares them to welcome the coming year with open arms and broad smiles. In many countries the whole week starting from ChristmasEve till the New Year is celebrated as one massive week of celebrations and fun.
