Christmas, a Christian holiday honoring the birth of Jesus, has evolved into a worldwide religious and secular celebration, incorporating many pre-Christian and pagan traditions into the festivities.
Christmas is celebrated on the 25th December every year. It is a Christian festival celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ and is traditionally characterised by tinsel-decorated trees, mince pies, present-giving and a turkey dinner. Families come together to eat, drink, be merry and argue over xmas TV, whereas children look forward to a visit from Santa Claus and his sack of presents.
Christmas, Christian festival celebrating the birth of Jesus. The English term Christmas (“mass on Christ’s day”) is of fairly recent origin. The earlier term Yule may have derived from the Germanic jōl or the Anglo-Saxon geōl, which referred to the feast of the winter solstice. The corresponding terms in other languages—Navidad in Spanish, Natale in Italian, Noël in French—all probably denote nativity. The German word Weihnachten denotes “hallowed night.” Since the early 20th century, Christmas has also been a secular family holiday, observed by Christians and non-Christians alike, devoid of Christian elements, and marked by an increasingly elaborate exchange of gifts. In this secular Christmas celebration, a mythical figure named Santa Claus plays the pivotal role.
They used to be something knitted by granny which would be quickly resigned to the back of the wardrobe, but the dreaded Christmas jumper has made a comeback with celebrities, fashion experts and high street shoppers all spotted wearing them. Wear your festive knitwear with pride on 15 December 2017 for Christmas Jumper Day in aid of Save The Children.
Christmas markets are a great way to celebrate the festive period and can be found all across the world. They can be found in a wide array of venues and can span over a weekend and up to six weeks.
