Christmas Day

 25th December: Christmas Day 


Christmas is celebrated to remember the birth of Jesus Christ, who Christians believe is the Son of God. 

The name 'Christmas' comes from the Mass of Christ (or Jesus). A Mass service (which is sometimes called Communion or Eucharist) is where Christians remember that Jesus died for us and then came back to life. The 'Christ-Mass' service was the only one that was allowed to take place after sunset (and before sunrise the next day), so people had it at Midnight! So we get the name Christ-Mass, shortened to 

Christmas. Christmas is now celebrated by people around the world, whether they are Christians or not. It's a time when family and friends come together and remember the good things they have. People, and especially children, also like Christmas as it's a time when you give and receive presents! 

Jesus was a Jew, so this could be another reason that helped the early Church choose December the 25th for the date of Christmas! 

Christians believe that Jesus is the light of the world, so the early Christians thought that this was the right time to celebrate the birth of Jesus. They also took over some of the customs from the Winter Solstice and gave them Christian meanings, like Holly, Mistletoe, and even Christmas Carols! St Augustine of Canterbury was the person who probably started the widespread celebration of Christmas in large parts of England by introducing Christianity to the regions run by the Anglo-Saxons in the 6th century (other Celtic parts of Britain were already Christian but there aren't many documents about if or how they celebrated the birth of Jesus).

 

St Augustine of Canterbury was sent by Pope Gregory the Great in Rome and that church used the Roman Calendar, so western countries celebrate Christmas on the 25th of December. Then people from Britain and Western Europe took Christmas on the 25th of December all over the world! 

The first known date of Christmas being rejoiced on December 25th was in 336 AD, through the time of the Roman Emperor Constantine who was the first Christian Roman Emperor. After some years, Pope Julius was formally announced that the birth of Jesus would rejoice on the 25th of December. 

So whenever you celebrate Christmas, remember that you're celebrating a real event that happened about 2000 years ago, that God sent his Son into the world as a Christmas present for everyone

Location: India

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