A Brief History of Christmas

History of Christmas

Christmas is Christian festival celebrated on December 25 by most Western Christians that celebrates the birth of Jesus Chris. (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/christmas) Even though Christmas is mostly considered a sacred religious holiday and celebrated predominantly in the West, it is also celebrated and recognized by many cultures, organizations and even governments throughout the world. In the United States, most businesses close for at least one day during year to celebrate Christmas. Popular customs of Christmas include exchanging gifts, decorating Christmas trees, attending church services, meals with family and friends. For children and parents, the arrival of Santa Claus is the culmination of Christmas. For many businesses, Christmas is a very important time of the year for lucrative revenue growth and additional profits.

In the early years of Christianity, Easter was recognized as the main holiday and celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ had not yet begun. Easter is also a Christian holiday celebrating the resurrection of Christ after his crucifixion. Around the fourth century, church members and clergy decided to celebrate his birth as a holiday. Because the bible does not discuss an actual date for the birth of Christ, which many believe actually happened in the spring, some more traditional sects of Christianity celebrate during different times of the year. December 25 was finally recognized by Pope Julius I as the day to celebrate the birth of Christ. Many believe Pope Julius I chose that date because he wanted to incorporate traditions from the Saturnalia Festival. Saturnalia was celebrated in ancient Rome to honor the deity Saturn. Saturn was the God of Agriculture w...

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...retail and online chains, corporations and businesses alike, Christmas has become a major event recognized and celebrated by Christians, non Christians and even other religions all over the world. Most businesses, for now, celebrate Christmas every year buy closing for one or more days to allow staff members to spend time with their families. Families who live a fair distance from loved ones or friends often take this time of the year to extend their time away from work and travel across the county and throughout the world. Regardless if you are celebrating Christmas as a remembrance of Jesus Christ and his birth, a national holiday in which your office is closed, as an opportunity to spend time with your family, or purely for the joy of giving and or receiving gifts, this holiday is a major part of the United States and several other countries around the world.