Christmas

Merry Christmas Wishes
From 101lifeStyle.com

The word Christmas is derived from cristes maesse and it means Christ Mass or Mass of Christ. It coincides with the Pagan festival of Saturnalia which is a winter festival. Although it is believed that the Lord Jesus Christ was born in spring during the lambing season of the shepherds during the time of Jesus, the 25th of December was chosen to remove paganism and to establish a new belief of one God only, unlike the Pagan's who believed in many God's. The Christmas season elaborates on the "spirit of giving", very much like the spirit of Jesus. In today's world, Christmas apart from being a festival, is a time of shopping, feasting, partying, exchanging of gifts, but mainly it is the feast for the birth of the Lord, Jesus Christ.

There are many ways that people have adopted to celebrate Christmas. The Christmas crib is one such way of depicting the birth of Jesus Christ that started in Europe but now it is followed by the rest of the world. It is the nativity scene that is depicted by wood carvings and statues or by real life people who enact the roles of the shepherd, the wise men, Jesus and also Mother Mary. The Christmas tree is another feature of the Christmas Celebration. Any tree from a range of coniferous trees are chosen and it is taken home to be decorated by an assortment of miniature ornaments such as candy stick, shiny balls, little gifts, bells, tinsel, little stars and a big shiny star is placed at the top of the Christmas tree in a way to resemble the bright shining star that led the three wise men to the Infant Jesus. The coniferous tree is chosen because it is an evergreen tree and is available in the winter season to symbolize the tree of life, who is in fact Jesus Christ. These Christmas trees are not only a decoration for home, but when these trees are viewed from outside the house of every person who has a Christmas tree, the entire city looks decorated and bright and festive. The Christmas tree is illuminated with lovely colourful lights that adds to the grandeur of Christmas. The mistletoe leaves are placed over the doors and it is a sign of fertility and good luck.

Children associate Christmas with Santa Claus who is a wonderful symbol of generosity. He is believed to live in the North Pole who receives letters year round from little children asking him to bring them a gift of their choice on Christmas Eve. The true Santa Claus was actually a man name Saint Nicholas born during the third century and eventually became the Bishop of Myra as a young man. He was exiled and imprisoned for his faith and through the centuries, many stories have followed his name and the way he led his life for other people. He is a protector of children, hence, he is associated to the generosity that the children expect during the time of Christmas. Christmas is incomplete without Christmas carols. It comes from a medieval word called 'Carole'. It means a dance song or a circle dance, which is always executed with a song. However, today we associate carols with the joy of festivity only for Christmas. Christmas carols became popular during the 14th century. While some themes of carols surround the birth of Jesus, there are other carols that just concentrate on the festivities of the season, for example, Frosty the Snowman. Christmas celebrations not only include the 25th of December but it includes the Christmas Eve, that is the 24th of December as well.

Christmas is no longer the festival of the Christian faith only, however, people from all around the world and from different religions celebrate the festivities of the season. Christmas stockings is another feature for children. The stocking is filled with an assortment of toys. This stocking is hung on the wall just before Christmas as children believe that Santa Claus will be stuffing the stocking with an assortment of toys. The Christmas cake is a fruit cake served during Christmas. It is a custom that has been handed down from the Victorian ages. Family gatherings, Christmas carols, Christmas trees are a part of the festivities but what marks the festival is the birth of a man named Jesus Christ.