2024 Christmas Season : A time of Unification, Celebrations and Upholding Traditions

[ Pinterest/ Country Living Magazine]

Written by Nelly Chelagat

For many people the Christmas season begins on Christmas Eve , December 24th and ends on January 6th. These celebratory days are commonly known as ‘ The Twelve Days of Christmas.’

During this period , people come together to celebrate with family  and friends  the birth of Jesus Christ  ,  exchange gifts  while preserving long upheld traditions.Creating new ones in the  process .

‘ The Twelve Days of Christmas’ are one of the most anticipated periods on the christian calendar . The first three days ;  Christmas Eve , Christmas Day and Boxing Day are given so much significance as compared to the rest . Let's delve into , what each entails ;

Christmas Eve.

It is the evening or the entire day before the D-Day [ Christmas Day ]. While it is not officially a holiday , in most countries  . There are numerous traditions , customs and activities that are carried during the day. Most people do the last minute preparations , gift shopping , and  traveling to different  destinations to enjoy the festivities . The christian community at large observe , what we call the  ‘Christmas Midnight Mass / services .’ 

It is also  perceived that on Christmas Eve the legendary  ‘ Santa Claus’ departs from the North Pole for his annual journey to deliver presents to children across the globe .

Christmas Day .

Christmas Day is  typically  commemorated on December 25th as both a religious and a cultural event around the world.The day is marked to honor  the birth of Jesus Christ .It is a time of great jubilation and joy  , a celebration of families , friends and communities at large  allowing more opportunities for reconciliations , attachments and creations of stronger bonds  . Various activities are partaken  during the day . They include gifts  exchange sessions , attendance of the church services , sharing of meals with the family and friends just to name a few .

As much as the holiday is celebrated across the globe ,there are an array of facts , stories , traditions that are associated with the day. Let us get into  some of the interesting facts about Christmas  Day Festivities.

Fun Facts About Christmas .

Pope Julius 1 , Bishop Of Roman Catholic , proclaimed December 25th as the official celebration date for the birth of Christ.

Did you know that not all countries celebrate Christmas on the same day ? No , you didn’t . Lemme educate you a bit . So as much as Christmas is relatively celebrated on the 25th day of December . There are other  sets of Christians , called the’ Orthodox Christians .’  They commemorate Christmas Day on the 7th day Of January .They include ;  The Russians , Ukrainians, and Romanians.

Father Christmas , or Santa Claus’ who is portrayed in numerous Hallmark movies is actually based on a real person .It's shocking right !! Santa , or Santa Claus is derived from ‘ St. Nikolas of Myra’ who lived during the fourth century . Santa Claus is a loose pronunciation of the name ‘ Sinterklaas’ meaning Saint Nicholas in Dutch.

Three traditional theme colors used during the festivities , green , red and gold have significant meaning attached to them .Green symbolizes life and rebirth ,red symbolizes the blood of Christ while gold represents royalty . 

The Germans made the first artificial christmas tree out of dyed goose feathers .

 Most people actually believe the ‘ X Mass’ is just a normal day abbreviation of christmas. Yet it's far-fetched , from the meaning of it . The ‘ X’ is a representation of ‘ Chi’ in the Greek word for Christ. On the other hand , Christmas is an abbreviation of the word ‘ Christ Mass’.

Earliest known Christmass tree decorations were apples.So the red balls used in the modern day decorations of the christmas tree , pays homage to the apples initially used.

It is perceived that the first person to decorate a christmas tree was reported to be Martin Luther King. According to a narrative , he felt moved by the beauty of the stars shining between the branches of the fig tree . So he brought an evergreen tree  and decorated it with  candles to share the images with his children.

Christmas stockings allegedly evolved from three sisters who were too poor to afford a marriage dowry and were , therefore , doomed to a life of prostitution. They were however saved by the first santa , who crept down their chimney and generously filled their stockings with gold coins.

The Christmas holiday has gradually evolved over the years ,adapting to the ever changing needs and wants of different cultures .Accommodating  everyone regardless of belief and background .While keeping in touch to its theme of love ,joy and hope .

Boxing Day .

 Boxing Day was first coined in the United Kingdom. It's a day that is tradtionally  dedicated to the employers giving gifts to their employees . Boxing Day comes from the tradition of servants receiving a ‘ Christmas Box ‘ from their employers .  The day was initially commemorated within the commonwealth countries but has been blended in  by other countries in the world. 

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