Christmas 2017 - Latest News, Pictures Album, Opinion, Advice, Video

Christmas is a Christian holiday that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ. It is celebrated every year on December 25, with the exception of some Eastern churches that use the previous Julian calendar. Today, Christmas is also celebrated by a large number of non-Christians around the world as a cultural event. In many countries it is a holiday. As of 1870, Christmas is celebrated in the United States as a federal holiday.

A period of waiting and preparation before Christmas is called the "Advent season". In most churches, it begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas 2017.

Customs and traditions

Due to its long history and enormous popularity, there are innumerable customs and traditions associated with Christmas. Some of them are well known throughout the world, while the other is limited to specific countries and regions. The most popular include the Christmas Tree and special decorations such as Advent wreaths, mistletoe, Nativity scene representations and colored lights. Family gatherings, special meals, Christmas carols and gift offerings are also an inseparable part of Christmas. And we can not forget the figure of Santa Claus who brings gifts to children who behave well on Christmas Eve.

Date

The Bible does not mention a specific date for the birth of Jesus. Most historians believe that he was born in the spring, hence the description of shepherds raising animals. The date of December 25 for the Feast of the Nativity was established by the Western Christian Church (Pope Julius I) at the beginning and middle of the fourth century. It coincided with the pagan celebrations of Mitra's birthday in the Roman cult of Mithraism. The date of December 25 also approaches the date of the winter solstice that was celebrated in many European pagan cultures Christmas 2017.

Christmas tree

The modern tradition of the Christmas tree dates back to sixteenth-century Germany with the first documented Christmas tree found in the sculpture of a private house in Alsace (then part of Germany, now France), dating from 1576. In the United States, the first Christmas trees appeared in Strasbourg (Pennsylvania) in the seventeenth century with the arrival of German immigrants. The custom spread throughout the country in the second half of the nineteenth century