What Do We Really Know About Christmas?

Christmas is an annual holiday that celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ almighty. Christmas festivities often combine the commemoration of Jesus' birth with different customs, many of which have been influenced by earlier seasonal celebrations.

If we look into a little about the history of Christmas we will find some interesting pointers such that during the Middle Ages Christmas remained a public festival, incorporating ivy, holly, and other evergreens, as well as gift-offering. It is one of the most celebrated occasions and brings glee and joy to a great number of individuals

The Build Up To Christmas

Christmas Eve, the day before Christmas is very special, when people eat rice porridge and plum fruit juice in the morning. Christmas songs are sung and then the gifts beneath the tree are shared out. The children adore this and for many of them it is there main reason for loving Christmas so much, knowing that they will be getting those super presents that they have been yearning for.

Santa

Probably one of the most important things about Christmas, particularly for children is Santa Claus. No matter where in the world, Santa plays a big part alright. In Western culture, where the holiday is characterized by the exchange of gifts among friends and family members, some of the gifts are attributed to Santa Claus (also known as Father Christmas & Saint Nicholas.

The popular image of Santa Claus was created by the German-American cartoonist Thomas Nast (1840-1902), who drew a new image annually, beginning in 1863. Father Christmas, who predates the Santa Claus character, was first recorded in the 15th century, but was associated with holiday merrymaking and out and out drunkenness.

The current tradition in several Latin American countries (such as Venezuela) holds that while Santa makes the toys, he then gives them to the Baby Jesus, who is the one who really delivers them to the children's homes. Although many parents around the world routinely teach their children about Santa Claus, some have come to reject this practice, considering it deceptive.

For what it's worth though, I just don't think Christmas would ever be the same without Santa. At least certainly in my abode it wouldn't.

Stories

Many fictional Christmas stories capture the spirit of Christmas in a modern-day fairy tale, often with heart-touching stories of a Christmas miracle. There are stories of Christmas and the Christ Child, holiday music for singing along and much more. There will always be some kind of story to tell at Christmas and that is very welcoming and joyful.

It is necessary for people to stop, breath in, and open their eyes to the amazing wonder of the festivity season. Folks need to comprehend that Christmas didn't start out as a reason to get gifts. It started out as a method to get more people to worship Christ. Sure, the Church was a little misguided and deceptive in its attempts, but what has passed is past and no one can change what has happened. It is up to people, today, to rethink their motivations around this sacred holiday. Are they buying gifts so that they don't feel guilty or because they truly want to be gracious? Are they visiting the poor and needy because they want to feel better about their own circumstances or because they are humble enough to realize that it could be them that are poor and needy? Are they inviting family over for turkey and mashed potatoes because it's their turn and they didn't want to let the family down or because they truly and honestly want to be surrounded by people who love them?

As you can clearly envisage, there are a number of separate reasons that people celebrate Christmas, but celebrating Christmas out of selfish and greedy terms is only tainting the true meaning- sacrifice of the purest kind.