Christmas Day:

Christmas Day is a celebration that is observed on December 25 every year. Christmas Day is a religious holiday that is celebrated across the world.

Twitter Hashtags:

#ChristmasDay

Related: Other National Days Celebrated on December 25th:

National Pumpkin Pie Day

A’phabet Day or No “L” Day

Why Christmas Day:

In the traditional or ancient setting, Christmas was a celebration where people celebrated the birth of Jesus. However, in the 20^th century, this evolved and now it is not only a day when people celebrate the birth of Jesus but also a day when families come together and enjoy a holiday. In modern celebrations, the birth of Jesus is barely celebrated but rather people focus on family get-together occasions and Santa Claus is the main feature for the occasion. In most homes in Europe and the United States, people exchange Christmas presents on Christmas as a way of showing appreciation.

According to the Gregorian calendar, Christmas falls on December 25 and this is when the main annual celebration takes place. However, Eastern Orthodox Churches still use the Julian calendar and as such, Christmas falls on January 7. However, despite the day when this celebration takes place, the theme is usually the same. Religious people usually go to churches to celebrate the occasion. Others also take part in other non-religious activities such as decorating Christmas trees, feasting, throwing fireworks, and more.

How Can We Celebrate Christmas Day:

There are many ways that people can celebrate Christmas day and this includes:

• Decorate a Christmas tree

One of the ways for you to celebrate this joyous occasion is to decorate a Christmas tree. This practice is done by millions of people across the globe. Most people use pine trees for decorations. One can use a live tree or you can buy an artificial one. Most stores sell decorations that can be put up on Christmas trees during this day. To bring life into your home, bring the Christmas tree inside your house and let the whole family take part in the decorating process.  You can also use ornaments and other family heirlooms you might have to make the occasion even more memorable. The practice of decorating Christmas trees originated from Germany during the 16^th century.

• Install Christmas lights in your home

The other way that you can celebrate Christmas in your home is by hanging Christmas lights inside and outside your house. You can hand these lights around the roof of your house, on the trees, bushes, and even on the walkway. This makes your home bright and makes sure that others know that you are in the holiday season. You can also use these lights on the ceiling of your house and in the stairway. You can also add other paper or tree decorations to your house.

• Listen to Christmas songs

If you love music, you can celebrate Christmas by listening to some of the best Christmas songs that will put you in a holiday mood. There are traditional Christmas carols and hymns and there is modern Christmas music. Despite your taste, you will still enjoy dancing around as you listen to these songs. The best part is that most radio and TV stations play Christmas music during the season and hence you will not have a hard time looking for these songs. You can also use your mobile phone, tablet, or computer to download and stream Christmas tunes, carols, and hymns.

• Watch Christmas movies

One of the best things about Christmas is there are many movies that come out during the season affiliated with this holiday. You can choose to look for the new movies that have been released or you can watch the old ones. Most Christmas movies are usually filled with fun and comedy but some can be educative, motivational, and informative. The common thing about these movies is that they all have a Christmas setting and some have a religious theme.

• Visit outdoor displays of Christmas decorations

If you want to enjoy the full awe of a Christmas celebration, you need to go to an outdoor display and enjoy watching gigantic Christmas trees and other spectacular decorations. This is mostly available in malls and other big establishments. You can also walk around your neighborhood to look at what people have put up as decorations in their homes and walkways. This can also act as a motivation for you to make your decorations.

• Go to church

You can also celebrate Christmas by going to church on this day so that you can enjoy the full meaning of Christmas. You can also read the Bible to learn more about the birth and the life of Jesus. You can also install religious decorations in your home to give the day an even deeper meaning.

• Let your children have a Santa experience

If you have children, the best way for you to make Christmas memorable for them is to make them have a Santa experience. You can do this by taking them to a place where they can meet Santa and share their wishes with him. You can also ask them to make a wish and let them believe that Santa made the wish come true. However, you need to note that most of the children who believe in Santa are those aged below 8 years. If you do not have children, you can dress up as Santa or an elf and help put a cheer on children during Christmas Day.

• Make a Christmas dinner

The other way for you to enjoy Christmas is by preparing a Christmas dinner that you can enjoy with your friends and family. A Christmas dinner mainly involves chicken, turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and more. Take time in setting the table because this will make the dinner more memorable. You can also decide to bake Christmas goodies such as cookies and cakes that you can take as snacks on Christmas day. You can also share these with other people who are not necessarily your friends and family.

• Send a greeting card

If you are not able to spend Christmas Day with your friends and family, you reach out to them by sending them a Christmas greeting card. You can send one that has already been customized with a special Christmas message. You can also send Christmas Greeting cards to other people such as doctors, nurses, army officers, and others to appreciate them for their efforts.

• Share with others

Most people state that Christmas is all about sharing, which is why you need to ensure that you share what you have with others. You can use the day to donate to a charity or to organize an event where you can feed the homeless and other people in need. You can also buy groceries and donate them to a stranger in need that you do not know. Purchasing toys and taking them to a children’s home will also go a long way in putting a cheerful smile on the kids who are in need. Don’t forget to share using hashtags #ChristmasDay on Social media!

Interesting facts about Christmas Day:

Some interesting facts that many people do not know pertaining to Christmas Day and its celebration include:

• “Jingle Bells’, which is a popular song that is sung during Christmas, was initially written for Thanksgiving celebrations. “Jingle Bells’ is also the first song to have been played in space.
• Santa Claus is referred to as Sinterklaas in the Netherlands. In the Netherlands, they do not believe that Santa Claus comes from the Netherlands but rather he comes from Spain.
• Rudolph, who is a reindeer with a red nose who guides the Santa Claus Chariot, has a red nose that is believed to be a parasitic infection. However, the parasite and the reindeer have a symbiotic relationship because the red nose helps Rudolph illuminate the path.
• The ‘X’ letter in the name X-mas does not replace the word, Christ. However, the letter X in the word X-mas comes from the Greek alphabet where ‘X’, pronounced as ‘Chi’ stands for Christ or Christos.
• The first artificial Christmas tree was not an actual tree. Due to the rising concerns about deforestation in Germany, the citizens decided to use goose features to build an artificial Christmas tree.

History of Christmas Day:

The Christmas holiday is celebrated to mark the birth of Jesus. Even though there is no clear account that shows details of the birth of Jesus, the early Christians believed December 25 to be the day when Jesus was born. As Romans celebrated the Winter Solstice on December 25, the first Christmas celebration in 336 AD also happed on this date. Early Christians also picked this day to be the day when Jesus was born because it was exactly nine months from March 25, which was the day that they believed that Jesus was conceived. Early Christians also associated the rebirth of the son and Jesus as the ‘Son of righteousness’ as proof that Jesus was born on December 25. However, acknowledging the birth of Jesus on this day created controversy about Christians associating themselves with the same festivities that were being practiced by pagans.

Another account that explains why the birth of Jesus is celebrated on Christmas Day is the Spring Equinox. The Spring Equinox falls on the timeline when the world was created and the fourth day when the light was created matched with March 25, which is believed to be the day when Jesus was conceived. Nine months later means that Jesus was born on December 25. The Christmas celebration was not celebrated before the 9^th century because of the controversies that surrounded this day as well as the reluctance of people to accept December 25 as the day when Jesus was born.

Other accounts also show that Christmas had pagan roots. In Germany, they celebrated the ‘Oden’ and appeased him by slaughtering cows and engaging in a feast that was organized to celebrate him. In Rome, the pagan holiday of Saturnalia was also celebrated on the winter solstice to appease Saturn, who was the god of agriculture. Saturnalia was a holiday marked with a lot of lawlessness and lack of order. The social order did not exist during this day because everyone wanted to be part of the fun. It is believed that Christians adopted this day as a way of making sure that the celebrations of Saturnalia ended. They allowed the people to engage with the festivities for the day but the meaning for the day would be changed to mark the birth of Jesus.

By the early Christians celebrating the birth of Jesus in the Winter solstice, they had increased chances of encouraging more people to join Christianity. The day would make the Christian religion popular in a time when paganism was deeply rooted in the people. After changing the Winter Solstice celebrations, Christianity became a widespread religion and by the 10^th century, most of the Pagan religion practices had been replaced by Christian religion practices. However, the meaning of this day was not yet understood by people.it rather became a day when Christians would engage in drunkenness and other unlawful behaviors. It also became a day when the rich in society would entertain the poor by gifting them and sponsoring them in the festivities.

In the early 17^th century, Christmas was canceled in Europe after a number of religious reforms were introduced. However, the holiday was restored after Charles II took overpower again. After the pilgrims settle in America, they outlawed the celebrations for Christmas and even fined anyone who was believed to be in a Christmas mood. After the American Revolution, many people lacked interest in multiple English customs and the Christmas celebrations that people engaged in became outdated. In America, Christmas was declared as a federal holiday on June 26, 1870. In the 19^th century, the Americans reinvented the Christmas celebrations. They changed this day from a celebration when people engaged in rowdy behavior and it became a day when families would come together and be grateful to each other. It also became a day when people from different customs and classes of wealth would celebrate each other and the contributions that each one makes. After the reinvention of Christmas, other inventions such as the Christmas tree, Santa Claus, reindeers, and others followed.