Christmas celebrated with great happiness and joy with various events and activities. It is the festival of happiness, joy and feasts which are observed to celebrate the birth of Lord Jesus Christ. 25th December is the day which considered as the day when Jesus Christ was born to father Joseph and mother, Mary at Bethlehem. The birth of Jesus viewed as the birth of a saviour of humanity. Though Christmas is a Christian festival, the joy and happiness associated with the festival make it a celebration of many non-Christian communities also.
Christmas and its Importance
The birth of Jesus Christ, who considered as the son of God, holds an important place in Christianity. Jesus was the one who taught a new way of life to the people and saved them from their sorrows and sins.
It is believed that birth of Jesus took place at the time when the society encircled with many evils like greed, hatred, superstitions, violence etc. and he was sent to earth to save humanity from these evils. Jesus considered as the light of the world, and he came to protect people from the darkness of ignorance, misery, sorrow etc. and Christmas is the day when people welcome this great saviour of humanity.
Twelve Days of Christmas Celebration
Christmas celebrated for twelve days which is also known as Twelvetide. The first day of the Twelvetide is Christmas Day, the birth of Jesus Christ. The second day is Boxing Day or the St. Stephen’s Day for his martyrdom. The third day is celebrated as Feast of St. John the Apostle for his contribution to ‘Book of Revelation’. The fourth day is the Feast of Holy Innocents and the fifth day is the Feast of St. Thomas Becket.
The sixth day commemorates St. Egwin of Worcester who considered as the protector of orphans and widows. The seventh day celebrated as the New Year’s Eve. The eight-day was dedicated to giving tribute to mother, Mary. The ninth day of Twelvetide honours St. Basil. The tenth day was the day when Jesus named in the holy temple, and the eleventh day is the Feast of St. Simeon. The twelfth day is known as the Epiphany Eve, which marks the end of the twelve days Christmas celebration.
Christmas in India celebrated with great zeal and enthusiasm. People all over India take part in the Midnight Mass with their family. Huge feasts organised at various places with delicious cuisines. Churches spectacularly decorated with flowers, Christmas trees and electronic lightings on occasion. Markets on Christmas get draped in colourful lights, and decorative items ranging from sparkling tinsel to bright Christmas bells and stars.
Christmas celebration could not be complete without the Christmas tree. There is a tradition of decorating the Christmas tree on occasion as a symbol of Christ. The Christmas tree could be a natural fir, spruce or pine trees or it could also be an artificial tree. People decorate the Christmas tree with lots of decorative items like lights, stars, balloons, gifts, candies etc. It believed that Christmas trees chase out negative or evil spirits and invite positive energy.
Santa Claus is an integral part of Christmas. It believed that Santa Claus comes riding on his sleigh that is pulled by seven reindeers and distributes gifts to children on Christmas. Children get very excited and wait eagerly on Christmas so that they can get presents from Santa. Many people also wear the costume of Santa Claus and distribute gifts and chocolates to children at various places.
Christmas is the festival of feasts when people get a break from their routine work and prepare delicacies for the occasion. Each country has a unique cuisine which prepared on Christmas, but cakes and cookies with different flavours are an integral part of Christmas. This is the occasion when friends and family members invite each other for delicious homemade delicacies and party with them to enjoy the moment and share gifts.
Christmas reminds us of the teachings of forgiveness, brotherhood and sacrifice as professed by Lord Jesus Christ.
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