Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration by billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year, it is preceded by the season of Advent or the Nativity Fast and initiates the season of Christmastide, which historically in the West lasts twelve days and culminates on Twelfth Night. Christmas Day is a public holiday in many of the world's nations, is celebrated religiously by a majority of Christians, as well as culturally by many non-Christians, and forms an integral part of the holiday season organized around it. The traditional Christmas narrative, the Nativity of Jesus, delineated in the New Testament says that Jesus was born in Bethlehem, in accordance with messianic prophecies.
| Also called | Noël, Nativity, Xmas |
| Observed by | Christians, many non-Christians |
| Significance | Commemoration of the Nativity of Jesus |
| Celebrations | Gift-giving, family and other social gatherings, symbolic decoration, feasting etc. |
| Observances | Church services |
| Date | December 25: Western Christianity and part of the Eastern churches, January 7 [O.S. ]December 25: Most Oriental Orthodox and part of the Eastern Orthodox churches, January 6: Armenian Apostolic Church, the Armenian Evangelical Church, and some Anabaptists (such as the Amish), January 19 [O.S. ]January 6: Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem |
| date | December 25: Western Christianity and part of the Eastern churches, January 7 [O.S. ]December 25: Most Oriental Orthodox and part of the Eastern Orthodox churches, January 6: Armenian Apostolic Church, the Armenian Evangelical Church, and some Anabaptists (such as the Amish), January 19 [O.S. ]January 6: Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem |
| Frequency | Annual |
| Related to | Christmastide, Christmas Eve, Advent, Annunciation, Epiphany, Baptism of the Lord, Nativity Fast, Nativity of Christ, Old Christmas, Yule, St. Stephen's Day, Boxing Day |
About Christmas
A day of celebration with a folklore narrative that features Santa Claus delivering presents to the households of children who are "good" throughout the year. The celebration begins with Christmas Eve on December 24 and continues through Christmas Day on December 25.
Achievement of Christmas
Christmas has been the backdrop for a number of popular movies such as A Christmas Story, Elf, Home Alone and It's A Wonderful Life.
Top Facts You Did Not Know About Christmas
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