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Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25[a] as a religious and cultural celebration by billions of people around the world.[2][10][11] 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.[12] Christmas Day is a public holiday in many countries,[13][14][15] is celebrated religiously by a majority of Christians,[16] as well as culturally by many non-Christians,[1][17] and forms an integral part of the holiday season organized around it.

Christmas
Nativity scene depicted using Christmas lights
Also called
Noël, Nativity, Xmas
Observed by
Christians, many non-Christians
Type
Christian, cultural
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[3]
January 7 [O.S. December 25]: Most Oriental Orthodox and part of the Eastern Orthodox churches.[4][5]
January 6: Armenian Apostolic Church,[6][7] the Armenian Evangelical Church, and some Anabaptists (such as the Amish).[8]
January 19 [O.S. January 6]: Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem[9]
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
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.[18] When Joseph and Mary arrived in the city, the inn had no room and so they were offered a stable where the Christ Child was soon born, with angels proclaiming this news to shepherds who then spread the word.

Although the month and date of Jesus' birth are unknown, the church in the early fourth century fixed the date as December 25.[20][21][22] This corresponds to the date of the winter solstice on the Roman calendar.[23] It is exactly nine months after Annunciation on March 25, also the date of the spring equinox. Most Christians celebrate on December 25 in the Gregorian calendar, which has been adopted almost universally in the civil calendars used in countries throughout the world. However, part of the Eastern Christian Churches celebrate Christmas on December 25 of the older Julian calendar, which currently corresponds to January 7 in the Gregorian calendar. For Christians, believing that God came into the world in the form of man to atone for the sins of humanity, rather than knowing Jesus' exact birth date, is considered to be the primary purpose in celebrating Christmas.

The celebratory customs associated in various countries with Christmas have a mix of pre-Christian, Christian, and secular themes and origins.[27] Popular modern customs of the holiday include gift giving; completing an Advent calendar or Advent wreath; Christmas music and caroling; viewing a Nativity play; an exchange of Christmas cards; church services; a special meal; and the display of various Christmas decorations, including Christmas trees, Christmas lights, nativity scenes, garlands, wreaths, mistletoe, and holly. In addition, several closely related and often interchangeable figures, known as Santa Claus, Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, and Christkind, are associated with bringing gifts to children during the Christmas season and have their own body of traditions and lore.[28] Because gift-giving and many other aspects of the Christmas festival involve heightened economic activity, the holiday has become a significant event and a key sales period for retailers and businesses. The economic impact of Christmas has grown steadily over the past few centuries in many regions of the world.

Gospel according to Saint Luke Chapter 2, v 1–20
The gospels of Luke and Matthew describe Jesus as being born in Bethlehem to the Virgin Mary. In Luke, Joseph and Mary travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem for the census, and Jesus is born there and laid in a manger.[40] Angels proclaimed him a savior for all people, and shepherds came to adore him.

Matthew adds that the magi follow a star to Bethlehem to bring gifts to Jesus, born the king of the Jews. King Herod orders the massacre of all the boys less than two years old in Bethlehem, but the family flees to Egypt and later returns to Nazareth.
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