Christmas (literally, the Mass of Christ) is a holiday in the Christian calendar, usually observed on December 25, which celebrates the birth of Jesus. According to the Christian gospels, Jesus was born to Mary in Bethlehem, where she and her husband Joseph had traveled to register in the Roman census. Christ's birth, or nativity, was to fulfill the prophecies of Judaism that a messiah would come, from the house of David, to redeem the world from sin. Early Christians celebrated more the subsequent Epiphany, when the baby Jesus was visited by the Magi (and this is still a primary time for celebration in Spain). Efforts to assign a date for his birth, though better known from writings from some centuries later, would have been important to all Christians then, no less than now. The precise chronology of Jesus' birth and death as well as the historicity of Jesus are still debated. Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger (now Pope Benedict XVI) presiding at the 2005 Easter Vigil Mass in place of the dying Pope John Paul II. Mass is the term used of the celebration of the Eucharist in the Latin rites of the Roman Catholic Church. ... Jesus, also known as Jesus of Nazareth or Jesus Christ, is the central figure of Christianity and an important prophet in Islam. ... The word holiday has related but different meanings in English-speaking countries. ... This article or section should be merged with Liturgical year The Christian Calendar organizes days of the year on which Christian festivals occur. ... December 25 is the 359th day of the year (360th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 6 days remaining. ... Jesus, also known as Jesus of Nazareth or Jesus Christ, is the central figure of Christianity and an important prophet in Islam. ... For the genre of Christian-themed music, see gospel music. ... Saint Mary redirects here. ... The Church of the Nativity, a Bethlehem Landmark Bethlehem (Arabic بيت لحم Bayt Laḥm [â–¶] house of meat; Standard Hebrew בית לחם house of bread, Bet léḥem / Bet láḥem; Tiberian Hebrew Bêṯ léḥem / Bêṯ lāḥem) is a Palestinian city in the West Bank and a hub of Palestinian cultural and... Saint Joseph, also referred to as Joseph the Betrothed and as Joseph of Nazareth, was the father (according to the law) of Jesus of Nazareth (Matthew 1:16; Luke 3:23) and the husband of Mary. ... Ancient Rome was a civilization that existed in Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East between 753 BC and its downfall in AD 476. ... A census is the process of obtaining information about every member of a population (not necessarily a human population). ... Nativity is the general time and place of a persons birth and early years. ... This article refers to the topic of prophecy as the purported telling of future events or supernatural revelations. ... Judaism is the religion of the Jewish people. ... In Judaism, the Messiah (מָשִׁיחַ anointed one, Standard Hebrew , Tiberian Hebrew ) initially meant any person who was anointed by God. ... Michelangelos David. ... Sin has been a term most usually used in a religious context, and today describes any lack of conformity to the will of God; especially, any willful disregard for the norms revealed by God is a sin. ... This article is about the Christian feast. ... Magi (Μάγοι) were Zoroastrian astrologer-priests from ancient Persia. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Detailed timeline for Jesus. ... This article discusses whether Jesus, the central figure of Christianity, actually existed as a historical figure. ...

Most scholars believe that December 25 was only adopted in the 4th century as a Christian holiday by the Roman Emperor Constantine, to encourage a common religious festival for both the Christians and the Pagans. December 25 is the 359th day of the year (360th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 6 days remaining. ... (3rd century - 4th century - 5th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 4th century was that century which lasted from 301 to 400. ... Constantine II as caesar. ... As a noun, Christian is an appellation and moniker deriving from the appellation Christ, which many people associate exclusively with Jesus of Nazareth. ... Within a Christian context, paganism (from Latin paganus) and heathenry are catch-all terms which have come to connote a broad set of spiritual/religious beliefs and practices of a natural religion, as opposed to the Abrahamic religions based on scriptures. ...

In predominantly Christian countries, Christmas has become the most economically significant holiday of the year, and it is also celebrated as a secular holiday in many countries with small Christian populations. It is largely characterized by exchanging gifts within families, and by gifts brought by Father Christmas or Santa Claus, a big jolly man with a white beard, or other folk figures. Local and regional Christmas traditions are still rich and varied, despite the widespread influence of American and British Christmas motifs disseminated through literature, television and other media. This article concerns secularity, that is, being secular, in various senses. ... Father Christmas is a name used in the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and several other Commonwealth Countries for the gift bringing figure of Santa Claus. ... A common portrayal of Santa Claus. ...

The word Christmas is a contraction of Christ's Mass, derived from the Old English Cristes mæsse and refering to the religious ceremony of mass. It is often abbreviated Xmas, probably because X or Xt have often been used as a contraction for Christ (X resembles the Greek letter Χ (chi), the first letter of Christ in Greek (Χριστός [Christos]). Crimbo is a synonym used in British English. Note: This page contains phonetic information presented in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) using Unicode. ... Mass is a property of physical objects that, roughly speaking, measures the amount of matter they contain. ... Xmas (or X-mas) is an abbreviation for Christmas. ... Chi (upper case Χ, lower case χ) is the 22nd letter of the Greek alphabet. ... British English (BrE) is a term used to differentiate the form of the written English language in the United Kingdom from other forms of the English language. ...

The origins of Christmas

The Romans honored Saturn, the ancient god of agriculture, each year beginning on December 17 in a festival called the Saturnalia. This festival lasted for seven days and included the winter solstice, which at that time fell on December 25 (today, following calendar reform, it falls on December 21). During Saturnalia the Romans feasted, postponed all business and warfare, exchanged gifts, and temporarily freed their slaves. With the lengthening of daylight, these and other winter festivities continued through January 1, the festival of Kalends, when Romans marked the day of the new moon and the first day of the month and religious year (the secular year began in March). Ancient Rome was a civilization that existed in Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East between 753 BC and its downfall in AD 476. ... Saturn devours his children (Francisco de Goya, c. ... December 17 is the 351st day of the year (352nd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... Saturnalia (from the god Saturn) was the name the Romans gave to their holiday marking the Winter Solstice. ... Illumination of Earth by Sun on the day of winter solstice on northern hemisphere In astronomy, the winter solstice is the moment when the earth is in a point of its orbit at which the northern hemisphere is most inclined away from the sun. ... December 25 is the 359th day of the year (360th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 6 days remaining. ... Various reforms to the Gregorian calendar have been proposed. ... December 21 is the 355th day of the year (356th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... January 1 is the first day of the calendar year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. ... The Kalends (Latin k/calendæ, -arum), (or calends) correspond to the first days of each month of the Roman calendar. ... Traditionally, the lunar phase new moon begins with the first visible crescent of the Moon, after conjunction with the Sun. ...

By the 4th century another factor was also at work. Many Romans also celebrated the solstice on December 25 with festivities in honor of the rebirth of Sol Invictus, the "Invincible Sun God," or with rituals to glorify Mithra, the ancient Persian god of light (see Mithraism). Sol Invictus was a religion to which both Constantine himself before his confession of Christianity, and his predecessor Diocletian, who had rebuilt the Roman Empire, were especially devoted, and to whom the latter had attributed his military successes (though Constantine saw Christ as having delivered him from the former Roman order's designs: Diocletian at one time had had Constantine living under his eye, against his will, separating him from his father). Constantine is therefore assumed to have found it convenient to find a common major festival for both Sol Invictus and Christianity. (3rd century - 4th century - 5th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 4th century was that century which lasted from 301 to 400. ... December 25 is the 359th day of the year (360th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 6 days remaining. ... For the folk music band, see Sol Invictus (band). ... Mitra is an important deity of Persian and Indic culture; he appears in the Vedas as one of the Adityas, a solar deity and the god of honesty, friendship, and contracts. ... Persia can refer to: the Western name for Iran. ... Mithraism was an ancient mystery religion prominent from the 1st century BCE to the 5th century CE. It was based on worship of the god Mithras and derives from the Persian and Indic god Mithra and other Zoroastrian deities. ... Constantine has many usages: People called Constantine Rulers called Constantine Constantine I (emperor), commonly known as Constantine the Great Constantine II (emperor) Constantine III (usurper) Constantine III (emperor) Constantine IV Constantine V Constantine VI Constantine VII Constantine VIII Constantine IX Constantine X Constantine XI Constantine I of Armenia Constantine II... Emperor Diocletian Gaius Aurelius Valerius Diocletianus (245?–312?), born Diocles, was Roman Emperor as Diocletian from November 20, 284 to May 1, 305. ... The Roman Empire is the term conventionally used to describe the Ancient Roman polity in the centuries following its reorganization under the leadership of Octavian (better known as Caesar Augustus), until its radical reformation in what was later to be known as the Byzantine Empire. ... For the folk music band, see Sol Invictus (band). ... Beliefs Though enormous diversity exists in the beliefs of those who self-identify as Christian, it is possible to venture general statements which describe the beliefs of a large majority . ...

The Christian story of Christmas

Joseph and Mary with baby Jesus, at "the first Christmas"

Historians are unsure exactly when Christians first began celebrating the Nativity of Christ. However, most scholars believe that Christmas originated in the 4th century as a Christian substitute for the pagan Festival of Saturn celebrations of the winter solstice. Nativity of Jesus - www. ... Nativity of Jesus - www. ... Joseph is a given name originating from Hebrew, recorded in the Hebrew Bible, as יוֹסֵף, Standard Hebrew Yosef, and Tiberian Hebrew Yôsēp̄. In Arabic, including in the Quran, the name is spelt يوسف or Yūsuf. ... Mary is a popular female name worldwide. ... Jesus, also known as Jesus of Nazareth or Jesus Christ, is the central figure of Christianity and an important prophet in Islam. ... This article is about the figure known by both Jesus of Nazareth and Jesus Christ. For other usages, see Jesus (disambiguation). ... (3rd century - 4th century - 5th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 4th century was that century which lasted from 301 to 400. ... Pagan may refer to: A believer in Paganism or Neopaganism. ... Saturnalia (from the god Saturn) was the name the Romans gave to their holiday marking the Winter Solstice. ... Illumination of Earth by Sun on the day of winter solstice on northern hemisphere In astronomy, the winter solstice is the moment when the earth is in a point of its orbit at which the northern hemisphere is most inclined away from the sun. ...

The story of Christ's birth has been handed down for centuries, based primarily on the Christian gospels of Matthew and Luke. The gospels of Mark and John do not address the childhood of Jesus, and those of Matthew and Luke highlight different events. For the genre of Christian-themed music, see gospel music. ... The Gospel of Matthew (literally: according to Matthew, Greek: Κατα Μαθθαιον ) is one of the four Gospel accounts of the New Testament. ... The Gospel of Luke is the third of the four canonical Gospels of the New Testament, which tell the story of Jesus life, death, and resurrection. ... The Gospel of Mark is traditionally the second of the New Testament Gospels. ... The Gospel of John is the fourth gospel in the sequence of the canon as printed in the New Testament, and scholars agree it was the fourth to be written. ...

According to Luke, Mary learned from an angel that she was with child, by virtue of impregnation by the Holy Spirit without intercourse. Shortly thereafter, she and her husband Joseph left their home in Nazareth to travel to Joseph's ancestral home, Bethlehem, to enroll in the census ordered by the Roman emperor, Augustus. Finding no room in inns in the town, they set up primitive lodgings in a stable. There Mary gave birth to Jesus in a manger or stall. Christ's birth in Bethlehem of Judea, the home of the house of David from which Joseph was descended, fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah. The Annunciation - the Angel Gabriel announces to Mary that she will bear Jesus (El Greco, 1575) An angel is an ethereal being (meaning it is of the air)whose duties are to assist and serve God or the gods of many religious traditions. ... In various religions, most notably Christianity, the Holy Spirit (also called the Holy Ghost in Trinitarian Christianity is the third Person of the Holy Trinity. ... The word intercourse in its broadest sense refers to any kind of human communication and interaction. ... Nazareth (Arabic الناصرة an-Nāṣirah; Hebrew נָצְרַת, Standard Hebrew Náẓərat, Tiberian Hebrew Nāṣəraṯ) is an ancient town in northern Israel. ... The Church of the Nativity, a Bethlehem Landmark Bethlehem (Arabic بيت لحم Bayt Laḥm [▶] house of meat; Standard Hebrew בית לחם house of bread, Bet léḥem / Bet láḥem; Tiberian Hebrew Bêṯ léḥem / Bêṯ lāḥem) is a Palestinian city in the West Bank and a hub of Palestinian cultural and... A census is the process of obtaining information about every member of a population (not necessarily a human population). ... Augustus (plural Augusti) is Latin for majestic or venerable. The greek equivalent is sebastos, or a mere grecization (by changing of the ending) augustos. ... This page is a candidate to be moved to Wiktionary. ... Desert hills in southern Judea, looking east from the town of Arad Judea or Judaea (יהודה Praise, Standard Hebrew , Tiberian Hebrew ) is a term used for the mountainous southern part of historic Palestine, an area now divided between Israel and the West Bank, and, in a few geographical definitions of Judea... Michelangelos David. ... Isaiah the Prophet in Hebrew Scriptures was depicted on the Sistine Chapel ceiling by Michelangelo. ...

Matthew's gospel begins by recounting the genealogy and virgin birth of Jesus, and then moves to the coming of the Wise Men from the East to where Christ was staying after his birth in Bethlehem. This mentions no trek to Bethlehem from Nazareth, and is often cited as a contradiction, but logically is not contradictory, as it makes no statement that they did not take a journey. The wise men, or Magi, first arrived in Jerusalem and reported to the king of Judea, Herod the Great, that they had seen a star, now called the Star of Bethlehem, heralding the birth of a king. Further inquiry led them to Bethlehem of Judea and the home of Mary and Joseph. They presented Jesus with treasures of "gold, frankincense and myrrh". While staying the night, the Wise Men had a dream that contained a divine warning that King Herod had murderous designs on the child. Resolving to hinder the ruler, they returned home without notifying Herod of the success of their mission. Matthew then reports that the family next fled to Egypt to escape the murderous rampage of Herod, who had decided to have all children of Bethlehem under two killed in order to eliminate any local rivals to his power. After Herod's death, Jesus and his family returned to Bethlehem. Genealogy the study and tracing of family pedigrees. ... Adonis Alexander the Great Alvis Anakin Skywalker Athena Attis Bacchus Buddha Deganawidah Hercules Hermes Horus Indra Krishna Mithra Osiris Perseus Prometheus Quirinus Romulus and Remus Saint Anne (mother of Mary) Sargon I Zoroaster ... The Three Wise Men are given the names Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar in this late 6th century mosaic from the Basilica of St Apollinarius in Ravenna, Italy. ... Magi (Μάγοι) were Zoroastrian astrologer-priests from ancient Persia. ... Herod I, also known as Herod the Great, was a Roman client-king of Judaea (c. ... The Star of Bethlehem was a star or star-like object that, in the account of Jesus birth given in the Greek Gospel of Matthew, heralded his arrival and guided the Magi, better known in Christian mythology as the Three Wise Men) to the stable in Bethlehem where he was... General Name, Symbol, Number gold, Au, 79 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 11, 6, d Appearance metallic yellow Atomic mass 196. ... 100g of frankincense resin. ... Myrrh is a red-brown resinous material, the dried sap of the Commiphora myrrha tree, indigenous to Somalia. ...

Another aspect of Christ's birth which has passed from the gospels into popular lore is the announcement by angels to nearby shepherds of Jesus' birth. Some Christmas carols refer to the shepherds observing a huge star directly over Bethlehem, and following it to the birthplace. The Magi, who Matthew reports seeing a giant star as well, have been variously translated as "wise men" or as "kings". They are supposed to have come from Arabia or Persia, where they could have gotten their gifts of "gold, frankincense and myrrh". Some astronomers and historians have proposed to explain what combination of traceable celestial events might explain the appearance of a giant star that had never before been seen, but there is no agreement among them.^[1] The Annunciation - the Angel Gabriel announces to Mary that she will bear Jesus (El Greco, 1575) An angel is an ethereal being (meaning it is of the air)whose duties are to assist and serve God or the gods of many religious traditions. ... In a draw in a mountainous region, a shepherd guides a flock of about 20 sheep amidst scrub and olive trees. ... The Arabian Peninsula The Arabian Peninsula is a mainly desert peninsula in Southwest Asia at the junction of Africa and Asia and an important part of the greater Middle East. ... Persia can refer to: the Western name for Iran. ... Astrometry: the study of the position of objects in the sky and their changes of position. ... A historian is a person who studies history. ... Arishem towers in the distance and judges that a world shall die. ...

Dates of celebration

Christmas is now celebrated on December 25 in Catholic, Protestant, and most Orthodox churches. The Coptic, Jerusalem, Russian, Serbian, Macedonian and Georgian Orthodox churches celebrate Christmas on January 7. This date results from their having accepted neither the reforms of the Gregorian calendar nor the Revised Julian calendar, with their ecclesiastic December 25 thus falling on the civil (Gregorian) date of January 7 from 1900 to 2099. The Armenian Church places much more emphasis on the Epiphany, the visitation by the Magi, than on Christmas. December 25 is the 359th day of the year (360th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 6 days remaining. ... Jesus Christ in a Coptic icon. ... The Orthodox Church of Jerusalem, properly called the Greek Orthodox Church of Jerusalem, is regarded by Orthodox Christians as the mother church of all of Christendom, because it was in Jerusalem that the Church was established on the day of Pentecost with the descent of the Holy Spirit on the... The Serbian Orthodox Church (Serbian Cyrillic: Српска православна црква; SPC, SOC) or the Church of Serbia is one of the autocephalous Orthodox churches, ranking seventh after Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, Jerusalem, Russia, and Georgia. ... January 7 is the seventh day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Gregorian calendar is the calendar that is used nearly everywhere in the world. ... The Revised Julian calendar is a calendar that was considered for adoption by the Eastern Orthodox churches at a synod in Istanbul in May 1923. ... The Gregorian calendar is the calendar that is used nearly everywhere in the world. ... January 7 is the seventh day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1900 (MCM) is a common year starting on Monday. ... Millennia: 2nd millennium - 3rd millennium - 4th millennium Centuries: 20th century - 21st century - 22nd century Decades: 2000s 2010s 2020s 2030s 2040s 2050s 2060s 2070s 2080s - 2090s - Years: 2094 2095 2096 2097 2098 - 2099 - 2100 2101 2102 2103 2104 2099 is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Armenian Church can refer to: Armenian Catholic Church Armenian Apostolic Church External reference and links Jerusalem Photos Archive - Armenian Church in Jerusalem Pictures of Armenian Churches This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Epiphany (Greek: επιφάνεια, the appearance; miraculous phenomenon) is a Christian feast intended to celebrate the shining forth or revelation of God to mankind in human form, in the person of Jesus. ...

Some scholars suggest that December 25 is a date of convenience chosen for other reasons, related to the time of Roman Emperor Constantine. December 25 in the Roman world was the Natalis Solis Invicti, the Birthday of the Unconquerable Sun, but it may not have been as early as Christmas, if it was a Roman reaction to the Church being persecuted then. It may have served as an attempt to eclipse a precious devotion of Christians, amidst attempts to kill all Christians off. Many of the earliest Christian writings were destroyed during those persecutions. December 25 is the 359th day of the year (360th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 6 days remaining. ... Roman Emperor is the title historians use to refer to rulers of the Roman Empire, after the epoch conventionally named the Roman Republic. ... Constantine has many usages: People called Constantine Rulers called Constantine Constantine I (emperor), commonly known as Constantine the Great Constantine II (emperor) Constantine III (usurper) Constantine III (emperor) Constantine IV Constantine V Constantine VI Constantine VII Constantine VIII Constantine IX Constantine X Constantine XI Constantine I of Armenia Constantine II... Ancient Rome was a civilization that existed in Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East between 753 BC and its downfall in AD 476. ...

St. Hippolytus, who was already knowledgeably defending the faith in writing at the turn of the century, entering the 3rd century A.D., said that Christ was born Wednesday, December 25, in the 42nd year of Augustus' reign (see his Commentary on Daniel, circa A.D. 204, Bk. 4, Ch. 23). In Greek mythology, Hippolytus was a son of Theseus and either Antiope or Hippolyte. ... // Events The Sassanid dynasty of Persia launches a war to reconquer lost lands in the Roman east. ... Augustus (plural Augusti) is Latin for majestic or venerable. The greek equivalent is sebastos, or a mere grecization (by changing of the ending) augustos. ...

Additional calculations are made on the basis of the six-year almanac of Priestly Rotations, found among the Dead Sea Scrolls. Some believe that this almanac lists the week when John the Baptist's father would have served as a high priest. As it is implied John the Baptist could only be conceived during that particular week; and as his conception is believed to be tied to that of Jesus, it is claimed that an approximate date of December 25 can be arrived at for the birth of Jesus. However, most scholars (e.g. see Catholic Encyclopedia in sources), believe this calculation to be unreliable as it is based on a string of assumptions. An almanac (also spelled almanack, especially in Commonwealth English) is an annual publication containing tabular information in a particular field or fields often arranged according to the calendar. ... Fragments of the scrolls on display at the Archeological Museum, Amman The Dead Sea Scrolls comprise roughly 850 documents, including texts from the Hebrew Bible, discovered between 1947 and 1956 in eleven caves in and around the Wadi Qumran (near the ruins of the ancient settlement of Khirbet Qumran, on... The Baptism of Christ, by Piero della Francesca, 1449 John the Baptist (also called John the Baptizer or Yahya the Baptizer) is regarded as a prophet by at least three religions: Christianity, Islam, and Mandaeanism. ... The term High Priest may refer to particular individuals who hold the office of ruler-priest in local regional or ethnic contexts. ... The Catholic Encyclopedia is an English-language encyclopedia published in 1913 under the auspices of the Catholic University of America, designed to give authoritative information on the entire cycle of Catholic interests, action and doctrine. // History The writing of the encyclopedia began on January 11, 1905 under the supervision of...

Dates for the more secular aspects of the Christmas celebration are similarly varied. In the United Kingdom, the Christmas season traditionally runs for twelve days following Christmas Day. These twelve days of Christmas, a period of feasting and merrymaking, end on Twelfth Night, the Feast of the Epiphany. This period corresponds with the liturgical season of Christmas. Medieval laws in Sweden declared a Christmas peace (julefrid) to be 20 days, during which fines for robbery and manslaughter were doubled. Swedish children still celebrate a party, throwing out the Christmas tree (julgransplundring), on the 20th day of Christmas (January 13, Knut's Day). The Christmas season (also known as the holiday season) is a term that covers the time when two interconnected periods of celebration are held. ... The Twelve Days of Christmas are (depending on differing authorities and sources) either the days from December 26 to January 6, (January 6 being the Epiphany), or the days from Christmas through the eve January 5 of Epiphany. ... Twelfth Night is a holiday marked by some branches of Christianity, marking the 12th and final night of the Christmas season, namely the night of twelfth day or January 5, the eve of the Epiphany celebration (January 6) to commemorate the adoration of the Magi. ... This article is about the Christian feast. ... From the Greek word λειτουργια, which can be transliterated as leitourgia, meaning the work of the people, a liturgy comprises a prescribed religious ceremony, according to the traditions of a particular religion; it may refer to, or include, an elaborate formal ritual (such as the Catholic Mass), a daily activity such... The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times, beginning with the Renaissance. ... A Christmas tree in a German home One of the most popular traditions associated with the celebration of Christmas, the Christmas tree is normally an evergreen conifer tree that is brought in the house or used in the open, and is decorated with Christmas lights and colourful ornaments during the... January 13 is the 13th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

In practice, the Christmas period has grown longer in some countries, including the United States and the United Kingdom, and now begins many weeks before Christmas, allowing more time for shopping and get-togethers. It extends beyond Christmas Day up to New Year's Day. This later holiday has its own parties. In some instances, including Scotland's Hogmanay—which occurs at the New Year—it is celebrated more than Christmas. This article is about January 1 in the Gregorian calendar. ... ... Hogmanay (pronounced — with the main stress on the last syllable) is the Scots word for the celebration of the New Year in the Scottish manner. ...

Countries that celebrate Christmas on December 25 recognize the previous day as Christmas Eve, and vary on the naming of December 26. In the Netherlands, Germany, Scandinavia, and Poland, Christmas Day and the following day are called First and Second Christmas Day. In many European and Commonwealth countries, December 26 is referred to as Boxing Day, while in Ireland, Romania and Catalonia it is known as St. Stephen's Day. The Christmas Eve (1904-05), watercolor painting by the Swedish painter Carl Larsson (1853-1919) Christmas Eve, December 24, the day before Christmas Day, is treated to a greater or a lesser extent in most Christian societies as part of the Christmas festivities. ... Scandinavia, Fennoscandia, and the Kola Peninsula. ... A satellite composite image of Europe Europe is the worlds second-smallest continent in terms of area, with an area of 10,600,000 km² (4,140,625 square miles), making it larger than Australia only. ... The Commonwealth of Nations, usually known as The Commonwealth, is an association of independent sovereign states, almost all of which are former territories of the British Empire. ... Boxing Day is a public holiday observed in many Commonwealth countries on 26 December. ... Capital Barcelona Official languages Spanish and Catalan In Val dAran, also Aranese. ... December 26, the day following Christmas Day, is called St. ...

Customs and celebrations

An enormous number of customs, with either secular, religious, or national aspects, surround Christmas, and vary from country to country. Most of the familiar traditional practices and symbols of Christmas, such as the Christmas tree, the Christmas ham, the Yule Log, holly, mistletoe, and the giving of presents, were adapted or appropriated by Christian missionaries from the earlier Germanic pagan midwinter holiday of Yule. This celebration of the winter solstice was widespread and popular in northern Europe long before the arrival of Christianity, and the word for Christmas in the Scandinavian languages is still today the pagan jul (=yule). The Christmas tree is believed to have first been used in Germany. A Christmas tree in a German home One of the most popular traditions associated with the celebration of Christmas, the Christmas tree is normally an evergreen conifer tree that is brought in the house or used in the open, and is decorated with Christmas lights and colourful ornaments during the... The Christmas Ham is an ancient traditional ingredient in the Scandinavian Christmas celebration (Yule) and remains as important as the Christmas tree. ... A chocolate yule log The Yule log comes from the Yule festival, which gave rise to many other popular Christmas traditions. ... Species Ilex aquifolium - European Holly Ilex canariensis - Small-leaved Holly Ilex cassine - Dahoon Holly Ilex crenata - Japanese Holly Ilex decidua - Possumhaw Ilex dipyrena - Himalayan Holly Ilex glabra - Gallberry, inkberry Ilex latifolia - Tarajo Holly Ilex montana - Mountain Holly Ilex opaca - American Holly Ilex paraguariensis - Yerba Mate Ilex perado - Madeiran Holly Ilex... Families Santalaceae (Viscaceae) Loranthaceae Mistletoe is the common name for various parasitic plants of the families Santalaceae (in the section of the family formerly separated as Viscaceae) and Loranthaceae. ... A gift or present is the transfer of money or goods without requiring something in return (at least not immediately); by extension it can be anything that makes the other more happy or less sad, especially as a favor, including forgiveness, and kindness (even when the other is not kind). ... Germanic paganism refers to the religion and mythology of the Germanic nations preceding Christianization, including Norse and Anglo-Saxon mythologies, and remnants of pre-Christian beliefs in the folklore of medieval and modern Germanic peoples. ... Yule was the winter solstice celebration of the Germanic pagans still celebrated by Ásatrúar. ... Illumination of Earth by Sun on the day of winter solstice on northern hemisphere In astronomy, the winter solstice is the moment when the earth is in a point of its orbit at which the northern hemisphere is most inclined away from the sun. ...

Rather than attempting to suppress every tradition owned by pagans, Pope Gregory I allowed Christian missionaries to allow the innocuous ones as a means to make things already familiar ready aids to reeducation through such props for illustrating new understandings of things long before them but ignorantly perceived, giving a rich Christian significance to things that, for lack of such Understanding, stood to bear the reflection of heathen culture.^[2] The give and take between religious and governmental authorities and celebrators of Christmas continued through the years. Places where conservative Christian theocracies flourished, as in Cromwellian England and in the early New England colonies, were among those where celebrations were suppressed.^[3] After the Russian Revolution, Christmas celebrations were banned in the Soviet Union for the next 75 years. A few newer religions, notably the Jehovah's Witnesses, some Puritan groups, and some ultraconservative fundamentalist denominations, view Christmas as a pagan holiday not sanctioned by the Bible, and do not celebrate it (although they are coming at it from a view detached from the historic Church). The pope is the Catholic Patriarch and Bishop of Rome, and leader of the Catholic Church. ... Saint Gregory I, or Gregory the Great (called the Dialogist in Eastern Orthodoxy) (circa 540 - March 12, 604) was pope of the Catholic Church from September 3, 590 until his death. ... Unfinished portrait miniature of Oliver Cromwell by Samuel Cooper, 1657. ... While the states marked in red show the core of New England, the regions cultural influence may cover a greater or lesser area than shown. ... Betsy Ross purportedly sewed the first American flag with 13 stars and 13 stripes representing each of the 13 colonies. ... The Revolution *The first was that of the February Revolution of 1917, which displaced the autocracy of Czar Nicholas II of Russia, the last effective czar of Russia, and sought to establish in its place a liberal republic. ... The Puritans were members of a group of English Protestants seeking further reforms or even separation from the established church during the Reformation. ... Fundamentalist Christianity is a fundamentalist movement, especially within American Protestantism. ...

Secular customs

A house decorated for Christmas in Yate, England

Since the customs of Christmas celebration largely evolved in northern Europe, many are associated with the Northern Hemisphere winter, the motifs of which are prominent in Christmas decorations and in the Santa Claustale. Download high resolution version (750x650, 79 KB)A house decorated for Christmas in Yate, near Bristol, England. ... Download high resolution version (750x650, 79 KB)A house decorated for Christmas in Yate, near Bristol, England. ... Northern Europe is marked in purple Northern Europe is a name of the northern part of the European continent. ... Northern Hemisphere highlighted in yellow. ... A common portrayal of Santa Claus. ...

Santa Claus and other bringers of gifts

Gift-giving is a near-universal part of Christmas celebrations. The concept of a folklore figure who brings gifts to children derives from Saint Nicholas, a good hearted bishop of 4th-century Asia Minor. The Dutch modeled a gift-giving Saint Nicholas around his death on December 5. In North America, other colonists adopted the feast of Sinterklaas brought by the Dutch into their Christmas holiday, and Sinterklaas became Santa Claus, or Saint Nick. In the UK, whilst this name is widely known, "Father Christmas" is more common, and is also used in many West African countries. In the Anglo-American tradition, this jovial fellow arrives on Christmas Eve on a sleigh pulled by reindeer, and lands on the roofs of houses. He then climbs down the chimney, leaves gifts for the children, and eats the food they leave for him. He spends the rest of the year making toys and keeping lists on the behavior of the children. Saint Nicholas, also known as Nikolaus in Germany and Sinterklaas (a contracted form of Sint Nicolaas) in the Netherlands and Flanders, is the common name for the historical Saint Nicholas of Myra, who lived in 4th century Byzantine Lycia, (modern Turkey), and had a reputation for secret gift-giving. ... A bishop is an ordained member of the Christian clergy who, in certain Christian churches, holds a position of authority. ... (3rd century - 4th century - 5th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 4th century was that century which lasted from 301 to 400. ... Anatolia (Greek: ανατολη anatole, rising of the sun or East; compare Orient and Levant, by popular etymology Turkish Anadolu to ana mother and dolu filled), also called by the Latin name of Asia Minor, is a region of Southwest Asia which corresponds today to the Asian portion of Turkey. ... December 5 is the 339th day (340th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... World map showing North America A satellite composite image of North America North America is a continent in the northern hemisphere bordered on the north by the Arctic Ocean, on the east by the North Atlantic Ocean, on the south by the Caribbean Sea, and on the west by the... Saint Nicholas, also known as Nikolaus in Germany and Sinterklaas (a contracted form of Sint Nicolaas) in the Netherlands and Flanders, is the common name for the historical Saint Nicholas of Myra, who lived in 4th century Byzantine Anatolia, (now in modern Turkey) and had a reputation for secret gift... Saint Nicholas, also known as Nikolaus in Germany and Sinterklaas (a contracted form of Sint Nicolaas) in the Netherlands and Flanders, is the common name for the historical Saint Nicholas of Myra, who lived in 4th century Byzantine Anatolia, (now in modern Turkey) and had a reputation for secret gift... A common portrayal of Santa Claus. ... Father Christmas is a name used in the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and several other Commonwealth Countries for the gift bringing figure of Santa Claus. ... West African refers to: West Africa An airline: West African Airlines [1] This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... The Christmas Eve (1904-05), watercolor painting by the Swedish painter Carl Larsson (1853-1919) Christmas Eve, December 24, the day before Christmas Day, is treated to a greater or a lesser extent in most Christian societies as part of the Christmas festivities. ... For the cricket meaning, see Sledging (cricket) A sled, sledge or sleigh is a vehicle with runners for sliding instead of wheels for rolling. ... Binomial name Rangifer tarandus (Linnaeus, 1758) For the musician, please see Caribou (musician). ... A chimney is a system for venting hot gases and smoke from a boiler, stove, furnace or fireplace to the outside atmosphere. ...

One belief in the United Kingdom and United States which has been passed down the generations, is the idea of "good" and "bad" lists of children. Throughout the year, Santa would add names of children to either the good or bad list depending on their behaviour. When it got closer to Christmastime, parents would use the belief to encourage children to behave well. Those who were on the bad list and whose behaviour did not improve before Christmas were said to receive a booby prize of sorts, such as a piece of coal or a a switch with which their parents would hit them, rather than presents. A joke prize, usually given in recogition of a terrible performance or a last-place finish. ... A switch is a flexible rod, typically used for corporal punishment of the birching type, called switching after it, especially when using a single branch: multiple branches are rather called a rod, a less flexible single rod is rather called a cane, an inflexible one a stick. ...

The French equivalent of Santa, Père Noël, evolved along similar lines, eventually adopting the Santa image Haddon Sundblom painted for a worldwide Coca-Cola advertising campaign in the 1930s. In some cultures Santa Claus is accompanied by Knecht Ruprecht, or Black Peter. In some versions, elves in a toy workshop make the holiday toys, and in some he is married to Mrs. Claus. Many shopping malls in North America and the United Kingdom have a holiday mall Santa Claus whom children can visit to ask for presents. Haddon Hubert Sunny Sundblom (June 22, 1899 - 1976) was a United States artist who created the modern image of Santa Claus in 1931 while working for Coca Cola. ... The wave shape (known as the dynamic ribbon device) present on all Coca-Cola cans throughout the world derives from the contour of the original Coca-Cola bottles. ... 1930 (MCMXXX) is a common year starting on Wednesday. ... Krampus (2003 Perchtenlauf in Woelfnitz, Austria) Knecht Ruprecht, companion of Father Christmas or Saint Nicholas, is also known as Servant Ruprecht, Farmhand Ruprecht, Pelzebock, Pelznickel (Nicholas in furs), and Schmutzli in Switzerland, sometimes associated with Saint Rupert. ... The Dutch version, called Zwarte Piet Knecht Ruprecht, companion of Father Christmas or Saint Nicholas, is also known as Servant Ruprecht, Farmhand Ruprecht, Pelzebock, Pelznickel (Nicholas in furs), Zwarte Piet or Zwarte Peter in the Netherlands and Flanders, Black Peter, and Schmutzli Samichlaus in Switzerland, sometimes associated with Saint Rupert. ... A small forest elf (älva) rescuing an egg, from Solägget (1932), by Elsa Beskow An elf is a mythical creature of Germanic mythology which survived in northern European folklore. ... For places in the United States with this name, please see Santa Claus (disambiguation). ... The Mall, an out-of-town shopping centre at Patchway, near Bristol, England. ... World map showing North America A satellite composite image of North America North America is a continent in the northern hemisphere bordered on the north by the Arctic Ocean, on the east by the North Atlantic Ocean, on the south by the Caribbean Sea, and on the west by the...

A classic image of jolly old Saint Nick

In many countries, children leave empty containers for Santa to fill with small gifts such as toys, candy, or fruit. In both the United Kingdom and the United States, children hang a Christmas stocking by the fireplace on Christmas Eve, because Santa is said to come down the chimney the night before Christmas to fill them. In other countries, children place their empty shoes out for Santa to fill on the night before Christmas, or for Saint Nicholas on December 5. Gift giving is not restricted to these special gift-bringers, as family members and friends also bestow gifts on each other. This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Stockings hung by the chimney with care A Christmas stocking is an empty sock or sock-shaped bag that children in the United States and some other cultures hang on Christmas Eve so that Santa can fill it with small toys, candy, fruit, coins, or other small gifts when he...

Timing of gifts

In many countries, Saint Nicholas Day remains the principal day for gift giving. In much of Germany, children put shoes out on window sills on the night of December 5, and find them filled with candy and small gifts the next morning. In such places, including the Netherlands, Christmas day remains more a religious holiday. In other countries, including Spain, gifts are brought by the Magi at Epiphany on 6 January. In Poland, Santa Claus (Polish: Święty Mikołaj) gives gifts at two occasions: on the night of 5 December (so that children find them on the morning of 6 December), and on Christmas Eve, 24 December, (when children finds gifts that same day). In Russia, Grandfather Frost brings presents on New Years Eve, and these are opened on this night. December 5 is the 339th day (340th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... A shelf filled with candies Candy is often used as a synonym for the more general term confectionery in North America, whereas the word has become archaic in most parts of the United Kingdom and survives today almost exclusively in the term candy floss. In some areas, notably Scotland, candy... Magi (Μάγοι) were Zoroastrian astrologer-priests from ancient Persia. ... Epiphany (Greek: επιφάνεια, the appearance; miraculous phenomenon) is a Christian feast intended to celebrate the shining forth or revelation of God to mankind in human form, in the person of Jesus. ... January 6 is the 6th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... December 5 is the 339th day (340th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... December 6 is the 340th day (341st on leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Christmas Eve (1904-05), watercolor painting by the Swedish painter Carl Larsson (1853-1919) Christmas Eve, December 24, the day before Christmas Day, is treated to a greater or a lesser extent in most Christian societies as part of the Christmas festivities. ... December 24 is the 358th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (359th in leap years). ...

One of the many customs of gift timing is suggested by the song "Twelve Days of Christmas," celebrating an old British tradition of gifts each day from Christmas to Epiphany. In most of the world, Christmas gifts are given at night on Christmas Eve, or in the morning on Christmas Day. Until the recent past, gifts were given in the UK to nonfamily members on Boxing Day. The Twelve Days of Christmas are (depending on differing authorities and sources) either the days from December 26 to January 6, (January 6 being the Epiphany), or the days from Christmas through the eve January 5 of Epiphany. ...

Christmas cards

Christmas cards are extremely popular in the United States and Europe, in part as a way to maintain relationships with distant relatives and friends, and with business acquaintances. Many families enclose an annual family photograph, or a family newsletter telling activities of family members during the preceding year. Christmas Card is a vinyl album of Christmas music the case of which contained a reproduction of a Christmas card that was signed by the whole Partridge Family, the stars of a 1970s sitcom. ...

Decorations

Christmas tree in a German home

Decorating a Christmas tree with lights and ornaments, and the decoration of the interior of the home with garlands and evergreen foliage, particularly holly and mistletoe, are common traditions. In North and South America and to a lesser extent Europe, it is traditional to decorate the outside of houses with lights, and sometimes with illuminated sleighs, snowmen, and other Christmas figures. Photo by Magnus Manske. ... Photo by Magnus Manske. ... Section of a string of Christmas lights Christmas lights (also sometimes called fairy lights or twinkle lights) are strands of electric lights used to decorate homes and Christmas trees during the holiday season. ... Categories: Stub | Christmas traditions ... A Silver Fir shoot showing three successive years of retained leaves In botany, an evergreen plant is a plant which retains its leaves year-round, with each leaf persisting for more than 12 months. ... Species Ilex aquifolium - European Holly Ilex canariensis - Small-leaved Holly Ilex cassine - Dahoon Holly Ilex crenata - Japanese Holly Ilex decidua - Possumhaw Ilex dipyrena - Himalayan Holly Ilex glabra - Gallberry, inkberry Ilex latifolia - Tarajo Holly Ilex montana - Mountain Holly Ilex opaca - American Holly Ilex paraguariensis - Yerba Mate Ilex perado - Madeiran Holly Ilex... Families Santalaceae (Viscaceae) Loranthaceae Mistletoe is the common name for various parasitic plants of the families Santalaceae (in the section of the family formerly separated as Viscaceae) and Loranthaceae. ... World map showing North America A satellite composite image of North America North America is a continent in the northern hemisphere bordered on the north by the Arctic Ocean, on the east by the North Atlantic Ocean, on the south by the Caribbean Sea, and on the west by the... South America South America is a continent crossed by the equator, with most of its area in the Southern Hemisphere. ... A satellite composite image of Europe Europe is the worlds second-smallest continent in terms of area, with an area of 10,600,000 km² (4,140,625 square miles), making it larger than Australia only. ...

Since the 19th century, the traditional Christmas flower is the winter-blooming poinsettia. Other popular holiday plants are holly, mistletoe, red amaryllis and Christmas cactus. Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... Binomial name Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. ... Species Ilex aquifolium - European Holly Ilex canariensis - Small-leaved Holly Ilex cassine - Dahoon Holly Ilex crenata - Japanese Holly Ilex decidua - Possumhaw Ilex dipyrena - Himalayan Holly Ilex glabra - Gallberry, inkberry Ilex latifolia - Tarajo Holly Ilex montana - Mountain Holly Ilex opaca - American Holly Ilex paraguariensis - Yerba Mate Ilex perado - Madeiran Holly Ilex... Families Santalaceae (Viscaceae) Loranthaceae Mistletoe is the common name for various parasitic plants of the families Santalaceae (in the section of the family formerly separated as Viscaceae) and Loranthaceae. ... Binomial name Amaryllis belladonna L. Amaryllis is a monotypic genus of plant containing one species, the Belladonna Lily (Amaryllis belladonna), a native of South Africa. ... The common holiday cacti (Thanksgiving Cactus, Christmas Cactus, Easter Cactus) have many Latin names, but are closely related. ...

Municipalities often sponsor decorations as well, hanging Christmas banners from street lights or placing Christmas trees in the town square. In the United States, decorations once commonly included religious themes. This practice has led to much adjudication, as Jews insist that it amounts to the government endorsing one particular religious faith. In 1984 the U.S. Supreme Court ruled (Lynch v. Donnelly) that a city-owned Christmas display including a Christian nativity scene was depicting the historical origins of Christmas, and was not in violation of the First Amendment ("establishment of religion"). Seal of the Supreme Court Scotus redirects here. ... Nativity is the general time and place of a persons birth and early years. ... The first ten Amendments to the U.S. Constitution make up the Bill of Rights. ...

Social aspects and entertainment

In many countries, businesses, schools, and communities have Christmas parties and dances during the several weeks before Christmas Day. Christmas pageants, common in Latin America, may include a retelling of the story of the birth of Christ. Groups may go caroling, visiting neighborhood homes to sing Christmas songs. Others are reminded by the holiday of man's fellowship with man, and do volunteer work, or hold fundraising drives for charities. Latin America consists of the countries of South America and some of North America (including Central America and some the islands of the Caribbean) whose inhabitants mostly speak Romance languages, although Native American languages are also spoken. ...

On Christmas Day or on Christmas Eve, a special meal of Christmas dishes is usually served, for which there are traditional menus in each country. In some regions, particularly in Eastern Europe, these family feasts are preceded by a period of fasting. Candy and treats are also part of the Christmas celebration in many countries. This page is a list of Christmas dishes as eaten around the world. ... Pre-1989 division between the West (grey) and Eastern Bloc (orange) superimposed on current national boundaries: Russia (dark orange), other countries of the former USSR (medium orange) and other former communist regimes (light orange). ... Fasting is the act of willingly abstaining from all food and in some cases drink, for a period of time. ...

Candy canes are a popular Christmas treat, and may double as a decoration or Christmas ornament

Download high resolution version (1536x624, 227 KB)Candy cane This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Download high resolution version (1536x624, 227 KB)Candy cane This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Candy cane A candy cane is a hard cane-shaped candy stick. ...

Religious customs and celebrations

The religious celebrations begin with Advent, the anticipation of Christ's birth, around the start of December. These observations may include Advent carols and Advent calendars, sometimes containing sweets and chocolate for children. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day services may include a midnight mass or a Mass of the Nativity, and feature Christmas carols and hymns. For the computer game, see Colossal Cave Adventure Advent (from the Latin Adventus, sc. ... Singing carols: John Denver and the Muppets: A Christmas Together A Christmas carol is a carol (song or hymn) whose lyrics are on the theme of Christmas, or the winter season in general. ...

Judaism's Hanukkah, has developed a similar tradition of gift-giving. Christmas has some acceptance in the Islamic world, where Jesus is regarded as a prophet. Many secular aspects of Christmas are becoming common in developed Muslim nations. Judaism is the religion of the Jewish people. ... Hanukkah (חנכה ḥănukkāh, or חנוכה ḥănūkkāh) is a Jewish holiday, also known as the Festival of lights. ... Islām is described as a dīn, meaning way of life and/or guidance. ...

Regional customs and celebrations

Christian Taiwanese aborigines celebrate Christmas with this hand-painted figure. ...

Christmas in the arts and media

Main article: Christmas in the media

Many fictional Christmas stories capture the spirit of Christmas in a modern-day fairy tale, often with heart-touching stories of a Christmas miracle. Several have become part of the Christmas tradition in their countries of origin. Christmas themes have long been an inspiration to artists, writers, and weavers of folklore. ... A fairy tale is a story, either told to children or as if told to children, concerning the adventures of mythical characters such as fairies, goblins, elves, trolls, giants, and others. ... According to many religions, a miracle, derived from the old Latin word miraculum meaning something wonderful, is a striking interposition of divine intervention by God in the universe by which the operations of the ordinary course of Nature are overruled, suspended, or modified. ...

Unlike many films, which date rapidly, Christmas movies are the reliable annuals of the movie business.

Tchaikovsky's ballet The Nutcracker tells of a Christmas ornament come to life in a young Russian girl's dream. Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol is the tale of curmudgeonly miser Ebenezer Scrooge. Scrooge rejects compassion and philanthropy, and Christmas as a symbol of both, until he is visited by the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future, who show him the consequences of his ways. Dickens is sometimes credited with shaping the modern Christmas of English-speaking countries (tree, plum pudding, carols, etc.) and the movement to close businesses on Christmas day. This is a DVD cover. ... This is a DVD cover. ... Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (Russian Пётр Ильи́ч Чайко́вский, sometimes transliterated as Piotr, Anglicised as Peter Ilich), (May 7, 1840 – November 6, 1893 (N.S.); April 25, 1840 – October 25, 1893 (O.S.)) was a Russian composer of the Romantic era. ... A performance of The Nutcracker The story of The Nutcracker and the Mouse King was written by E. T. A. Hoffmann. ... Christmas ornament Christmas ornaments are decorations (usually made of glass, metal, wood or ceramics) that are used to festoon a Christmas tree. ... Dickens was a prolific writer who was almost always working on a new installment for a story and rarely missed a deadline. ... Ebenezer Scrooge encounters Ignorance and Want in A Christmas Carol A Christmas Carol is a novella written by Charles Dickens and illustrated by John Leech. ... Ebenezer Scrooge encounters Ignorance and Want in A Christmas Carol Ebenezer Scrooge is the main character in Charles Dickens 1843 novella A Christmas Carol. ...

Thomas Nast and Clement Moore provided the English-speaking countries with their popular images of Santa Claus. Nast's 19th-century cartoons gave Santa his familiar form (Harper's Weekly, 1863), while Moore's poem "A Visit from Saint Nicholas" (Sentinel, 1823, popularly known as "The Night Before Christmas") supplied the rotund Santa and his sleigh landing on rooftops on Christmas Eve. Thomas Nast (September 27, 1840–December 7, 1902) was a famous caricaturist and editorial cartoonist in the 19th century and is considered to be the father of American political cartooning. ... Clement Clarke Moore, ( July 15, 1779 - July 10, 1863), was a professor at New York Citys General Theological Seminary (built on land donated by his father) who, in an 1836 reprint of A Visit From St. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... The poem A Visit from St. ...

In 1881, the Swedish magazine Ny Illustrerad Tidning published Viktor Rydberg's poem "Tomten" featuring the first painting by Jenny Nyström of this traditional Swedish mythical character (tomte, elf, goblin) which she turned into the white-bearded friendly figure associated with Christmas. It was further developed in 1931 by Haddon Sundblom for the Coca-Cola Company. 1881 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... A collection of magazines A magazine is a periodical publication containing a variety of articles. ... Abraham Viktor Rydberg (Jönköping, December 18, 1828 - September 22, 1895) was a Swedish author, publicist and poet. ... Jenny Nyström (born 1854, Kalmar, Sweden; died 1946, Stockholm) was an artist and illustrator of childrens books. ... A tomtenisse made of wood. ... Haddon Hubert Sunny Sundblom (June 22, 1899 - 1976) was a United States artist who created the modern image of Santa Claus in 1931 while working for Coca Cola. ...

Although these Christmas icons have become widespread through television and movies, Christmas is still a time when national traditions are strong, and both Santa's appearance and the stories told vary from country to country. Some Scandinavian Christmas stories are less cheery than Dickens', notably H. C. Andersen's "The Little Match Girl". The destitute little slum girl walks barefoot through snow-covered streets on Christmas Eve, trying in vain to sell her matches, and peeking in at the celebrations in the homes of the more fortunate. She dares not go home because her father is drunk. Unlike the principals of Anglophone Christmas lore, she meets a tragic end. Hans Christian Andersen. ... The Little Match Girl is a Danish fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen about a young girl who sells matches to provide her family with an income during the cold winter. ...

Many Christmas stories have been popularized as movies and TV specials. Since the 1980s, many video editions are sold and resold every year during the holiday season. A notable example is the film It's a Wonderful Life, the theme of which mirrors A Christmas Carol. Its hero, George Bailey, is a businessman who sacrificed his dreams to help his community. On Christmas Eve, a guardian angel finds him in despair and prevents him from committing suicide, by magically showing him how much he meant to the world around him. Perhaps the most famous animated production is A Charlie Brown Christmas wherein Charlie Brown tries to address his feeling of dissatisfaction with the holidays by trying to find a deeper meaning to them. Films are produced by recording actual people and objects with cameras, or by creating them using animation techniques and/or special effects. ... A Television Special is a television program that is essentially a television movie or a short film usually intended to be broadcast sporadically, typically once a year at most. ... The 1980s in its most obvious sense refers to the decade between 1980 and 1989. ... Its a Wonderful Life is a 1946 Frank Capra film, released originally by RKO Radio Pictures. ... The Christmas Eve (1904-05), watercolor painting by the Swedish painter Carl Larsson (1853-1919) Christmas Eve, December 24, the day before Christmas Day, is treated to a greater or a lesser extent in most Christian societies as part of the Christmas festivities. ... A guardian angel is a spirit who is believed to protect and to guide a particular person. ... For the album, see A Charlie Brown Christmas Cover from the soundtrack album for A Charlie Brown Christmas A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965) is the first of many prime-time animated TV specials based upon the popular comic strip Peanuts, by Charles M. Schulz. ... Charlie Brown Charles Charlie Brown is the principal character in the comic strip Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz. ...

A few true stories have become enduring Christmas tales. The story behind the Christmas carol "Silent Night" and the story of "Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus" are among the most well-known of these. Autograph of the carol by Gruber Silent Night is a traditional and popular Christmas carol. ... Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus was the headline that appeared over an editorial in the September 21, 1897 edition of the New York Sun. ...

Radio and television also cultivate Christmas themes. Radio stations broadcast Christmas carols and Christmas songs, including classical music such as the Hallelujah chorus from Handel's Messiah. Among other classical Christmas pieces are the Nutcracker Suite, adapted from Tchaikovsky's ballet score, and Johann Sebastian Bach's Christmas Oratorio (BWV 248). Television networks add Christmas themes, run traditional holiday movies, and produce a variety of Christmas specials. Singing carols: John Denver and the Muppets: A Christmas Together A Christmas carol is a carol (song or hymn) whose lyrics are on the theme of Christmas, or the winter season in general. ... The 1995 re-release album cover of White Christmas A Christmas song is a song which is normally sung during the Christmas period, and usually has some Christmas or winter related theme. ... Messiah (1741) is an oratorio by George Frideric Handel. ... HANDEL was the code-name for the UKs National Attack Warning System in the Cold War. ... Messiah (1741) is an oratorio by George Frideric Handel. ... A performance of The Nutcracker The story of The Nutcracker and the Mouse King was written by E. T. A. Hoffmann. ... The 1748 Haussmann portrait of the composer. ...

Economics of Christmas

Christmas is typically the largest annual stimulus for the economies of celebrating nations. Sales increase in almost all retail areas and shops introduce new products, as people purchase gifts, decorations, and supplies. In the United States, the Christmas shopping season now begins on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving. Christmas Day is the only day in the year that most shops and businesses are closed. The economic impact continues after the holiday, with Christmas sales and New Year's sales, when stores sell off excess inventories. Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving in the United States, is historically one of the busiest retail shopping days of the year. ... The First Thanksgiving, after the painting by Jean Louis Gerome Ferris (1863–1930) Thanksgiving is an annual holiday observed in the United States and Canada. ...

Many Christians, as well as anti-consumerists both religious and secular, decry the "commercialization" of Christmas. They accuse the Christmas season of being dominated by money and greed, at the expense of the holiday's more important values. Frustrations over these issues and others can lead to a rise in Christmastime social problems. This article is about the religous people known as Christians. ... Consumerism is a term used to describe the effects of equating personal happiness with purchasing material possessions and consumption. ...

Most Economists agree, however, that Christmas produces a deadweight loss, or burden, associated with the surge in gift-giving. This loss is calculated as the difference between what the gift-giver spent on the item, and what the gift-receiver would have paid for the item, sentimental values aside. Estimates in 2001 were a 4 Billion dollar deadweight loss as a result of the gift-giving. See this article in The Economist for more information. Economists are scholars conducting research in the field of economics. ... In economics, a deadweight loss (also known as excess burden) is a permanent loss of well being to society that can occur when equilibrium for a good or service is not Pareto optimal, (that at least one individual could be made better off without others being made worse off). ... The Economist is a weekly news and international affairs publication of The Economist Newspaper Limited in London. ...

In North America, film studios release many high-budget movies in the holiday season, many of them being Christmas films, fantasy movies and/or high-tone dramas with rich production values, both to capture holiday crowds and to position themselves for Oscars. Next to summer, this is the second most lucrative season for the industry. Christmas-specific movies generally open in late November or early December, as their themes and images are not so popular once the season is over. The winter movie season spans from the first week of November until mid-February. World map showing North America A satellite composite image of North America North America is a continent in the northern hemisphere bordered on the north by the Arctic Ocean, on the east by the North Atlantic Ocean, on the south by the Caribbean Sea, and on the west by the... Fantasy is a genre of art, literature, film, television, and music that uses magic and other supernatural forms as a primary element of either plot, theme, setting, or all three. ... Although he never won an Oscar for any of his movie performances, the comedian Bob Hope received two honorary Oscars for his contributions to cinema. ...

Social impact of Christmas

Because of the focus on celebration, friends, and family, people who are without these, or who have recently suffered losses, are more likely to suffer from depression during Christmas. This increases the demands for counseling services during the period. Clinical depression is a health condition of depression with mental and physical components reaching criteria generally accepted by clinicians. ...

Suicide and murder rates may spike during the holiday season, but the peak months for suicide are May and June. Because of holiday celebrations involving alcohol, drunk driving-related fatalities may also increase. Suicide (from Latin sui caedere, to kill oneself) is the act of willfully ending ones own life; it is sometimes a noun for one who has committed or attempted the act. ... In general usage, alcohol (from Arabic al-ghawl الغول) refers almost always to ethanol, also known as grain alcohol, and often to any beverage that contains ethanol (see alcoholic beverage). ... Drunk driving (drink driving in the UK) or drinking and driving is the act of operating a motor vehicle after having consumed alcohol (i. ...

Non-Christians in predominantly Christian nations may be left bereft of entertainment around Christmas. The cliché recreation for them is "movies and Chinese food"; movie theaters remaining open to bring in holiday dollars and Chinese restaurants supposedly less likely to be closed due to the Buddhist or other non-Christian faith of the proprietors. However, that is generally only in large urban areas; in other communities, practically everything is closed. China has one of the richest culinary heritages on Earth. ...

Some groups in Britain, are actually trying to ban Christmas, claiming it has no place in multiculturism, in positive discrimination, whilst ignoring the mass celebrations of Eid in November. Despite their efforts, they have been compared to in the press as Scrooge. Affirmative action (US English), or positive discrimination (British English), is a policy or a program providing advantages for people of a minority group who are seen to have traditionally been discriminated against. ... The word Eid can mean several things: The Islamic festival of Eid ul-Fitr marks the end of Ramadan, and is one of the two Eid festivals in the Islamic year (the other being Eid ul-Adha). ... Scrooge is the surname of Ebenezer Scrooge, the selfish and miserly protagonist of Charles Dickens 1843 novella A Christmas Carol. ...

Theories regarding the origin of the date of Christmas

Wise Men visiting Jesus on Twelfth Night after his birth on Christmas

Main article: Chronology of Jesus' birth and death

Many different dates have been suggested for the celebration of Christmas. No explanation of why it is celebrated on December 25 is universally accepted. Theories include the following: Download high resolution version (1637x1938, 381 KB)Birth of Jesus with visiting Magi. ... Download high resolution version (1637x1938, 381 KB)Birth of Jesus with visiting Magi. ... The Three Wise Men are given the names Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar in this late 6th century mosaic from the Basilica of St Apollinarius in Ravenna, Italy. ... Jesus, also known as Jesus of Nazareth or Jesus Christ, is the central figure of Christianity and an important prophet in Islam. ... Twelfth Night is a holiday marked by some branches of Christianity, marking the 12th and final night of the Christmas season, namely the night of twelfth day or January 5, the eve of the Epiphany celebration (January 6) to commemorate the adoration of the Magi. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Detailed timeline for Jesus. ...

• The Catholic Encyclopedia article on "Christmas" offers a starting point for Christmas, which does not appear among the earliest lists of Christian feasts, those of Irenaeus and Tertullian. The earliest evidence of celebration is from Alexandria, about AD 200, when Clement of Alexandria says that certain Egyptian theologians "over curiously" assign not just the year but the actual day of Christ's birth^[4], on 25 Pachon (May 20) in the twenty-eighth year of Augustus. By the time of the Council of Nicaea, AD 325, the Alexandrian church had fixed a dies Nativitatis et Epiphaniae. The December feast reached Egypt in the 5th century. In Jerusalem, Egeria the 4th-century pilgrim from Bordeaux, witnessed the feast of the Presentation, forty days after January 6, which must have been the date of the Nativity there. At Antioch, probably in 386, St John Chrysostom urged the community to unite in celebrating Christ's birth on December 25, a part of the community having already kept it on that day for at least ten years.

• It is an appropriation of the pagan Midwinter festivals, such as the Germanic Yule and the Roman festival of the birth of Unconquered Sun, celebrated on the day after the winter solstice, or the Roman festival of Saturnalia.

• It derives from the tradition that Jesus was born during the Jewish Festival of Lights (Hanukkah, the 25th of Kislev and the beginning of Tevet). Kislev is generally accepted as corresponding with December. Under the Old Julian calendar, the popular choice of 5 BC for the year of Jesus' birth would place the 25th of Kislev on the 25th of November.

• The date of Christmas is based on the date of Good Friday, the day Jesus died. Since the exact date of Jesus' death is not stated in the Gospels, early Christians sought to calculate it, and arrived at either March 25 or April 6. To then calculate the date of Jesus' birth, they followed the ancient idea that Old Testament prophets died at an "integral age"—either an anniversary of their birth or of their conception. They reasoned that Jesus died on an anniversary of the Incarnation (his conception), so the date of his birth would have been nine months after the date of Good Friday—either December 25 or January 6. Thus, rather than the date of Christmas being appropriated from pagans by Christians, the opposite is held to have occurred. [See Duchesne (1902) and Talley (1986).]

• The apparition of the angel Gabriel to Zechariah, announcing that he was to be the father of John the Baptist, was believed to have occurred on Yom Kippur. This was due to a belief (not included in the Gospel account) that Zechariah was a high priest and that his vision occurred during the high priest's annual entry into the Holy of Holies. If John's conception occurred on Yom Kippur in late September, then his birth would have been in late June. (The traditional date is June 24.) If John's birth was on June 24, then the Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary, said by the Gospel account to have occurred three month's before John's birth, would have been in late March. (Tradition fixed it on March 25.) The birth of Jesus would then have been on December 25, nine months after his conception. As with the previous theory, proponents of this theory hold that Christmas was a date of significance to Christians before it was a date of significance to pagans.

• It was appropriated from the birthday of Mithras, a savior figure of a Greco-Roman mystery religion who was popular with the Roman Legions.

Saint Irenaeus (ca. ... Quintus Septimius Florens Tertullianus, anglicized as Tertullian, (ca. ... Clement of Alexandria (Titus Flavius Clemens), was the first member of the Church of Alexandria to be more than a name, and one of its most distinguished teachers. ... Council of Nicaea can refer to: First Council of Nicaea in AD 325 Second Council of Nicaea in AD 787 This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... In early Chistian history, Egeria, also known as Ætheria, is the name of a nun who made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land about the 380s, taking about three years to do it, and who wrote a long letter to her beloved community of nuns at home (somewhere not far... The city of Antioch-on-the-Orontes (modern Antakya; Greek Αντιοχεια ἡ επι Δαφνη; see also List of traditional Greek place names) is located in what is now Turkey. ... Saint John Chrysostom John Chrysostom (347 - 407) was a notable Christian bishop and preacher from the 4th and 5th centuries in Syria and Constantinople. ... Yule was the winter solstice celebration of the Germanic pagans still celebrated by Ásatrúar. ... A festival of the birth of the Unconquered Sun (or Dies Natalis Solis Invicti) was celebrated in the Roman Empire around the time of the winter solstice, when the duration of daylight begins to increase—a rebirth of the sun. ... Illumination of Earth by Sun on the day of winter solstice on northern hemisphere In astronomy, the winter solstice is the moment when the earth is in a point of its orbit at which the northern hemisphere is most inclined away from the sun. ... Saturnalia (from the god Saturn) was the name the Romans gave to their holiday marking the Winter Solstice. ... Hanukkah (×—× ×›×” ḥănukkāh, or חנוכה ḥănÅ«kkāh) is a Jewish holiday, also known as the Festival of lights. ... Tevet (טֵבֵת, Standard Hebrew Tevet, Tiberian Hebrew Ṭēḇēṯ: from Akkadian ṭebētu) is the fourth month of the ecclesiastical year and the tenth month of the civil year on the Hebrew calendar. ... Good Friday is a holy day celebrated by Christians on the Friday before Easter or Pascha. ... Incarnation, which literally means enfleshment, refers to the conception, and live birth of a sentient creature (generally human) who is the material manifestation of an entity or force whose original nature is immaterial. ... The Annunciation - the Angel Gabriel announces to Mary that she will bear Jesus (El Greco, 1575) An angel is an ethereal being (meaning it is of the air)whose duties are to assist and serve God or the gods of many religious traditions. ... 12th-century icon of Archangel Gabriel from Novgorod. ... For the priest Zechariah of Luke 1:5 see the article Zacharias. ... The Baptism of Christ, by Piero della Francesca, 1449 John the Baptist (also called John the Baptizer or Yahya the Baptizer) is regarded as a prophet by at least three religions: Christianity, Islam, and Mandaeanism. ... Yom Kippur (1878) Yom Kippur (יום כיפור yom kippÅ«r) is the Jewish holiday of the Day of Atonement. ... For the genre of Christian-themed music, see gospel music. ... The term High Priest may refer to particular individuals who hold the office of ruler-priest in local regional or ethnic contexts. ... The Tabernacle in the Wilderness The Most Holy Place also known as the Holiest of Holies is a location within the inner tabernacle of Moses. ... // Headline text The Annunciation, by El Greco (1575) JAKE.T IS THE BEST IN THE WORLD The tom is gay Annunciation to Mary, the mother of Jesus, is the pronouncement by the archangel Gabriel that she would conceive a child to be born the Son of God. ... Blessed Virgin Mary A traditional Catholic picture sometimes displayed in homes. ... Mithra and the Bull: fresco from Dura Europos late 2nd–early 3rd century Mithras was the central savior god of Mithraism, a syncretic Hellenistic mystery religion of male initiates that developed in the Eastern Mediterranean in the 2nd and 1st centuries BC and was practiced in the Roman Empire from... A mystery religion is any religion with an arcanum, or body of secret wisdom. ... The Roman legion (from the Latin legio, meaning levy) was the basic military unit of ancient Rome. ...

See also

• Category:Christmas
  • Category:Christmas characters
  • Category:Christmas onstage
  • Category:Christmas fiction
  • Category:Christmas films
  • Category:Christmas food
  • Category:Christmas-linked holidays and Category:Winter holidays
  • Category:Christmas music
    • Category:Christmas albums
    • Category:Christmas carols
    • Category:Christmas songs
  • Category:Christmas television specials
  • Category:Christmas traditions

Notes

• 1.^  David van Biema, "Behind the First Noel", Time magazine, Dec.13, 2004, pp.49-61.
• 2.^  The 8th-century English historian Bede's Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum ("Ecclesiastic History of the English People") contains a letter from Pope Gregory I to Saint Mellitus, who was then on his way to England to conduct missionary work among the heathen Anglo-Saxons. The Pope suggests that converting heathens is easier if they are allowed to retain the outward forms of their traditional pagan practices and traditions, while recasting those traditions spiritually towards the one true God instead of to their pagan gods (whom the Pope refers to as "devils"), "to the end that, whilst some gratifications are outwardly permitted them, they may the more easily consent to the inward consolations of the grace of God". [5] The Pope sanctions such conversion tactics as Biblically acceptable, pointing out that God did much the same thing with the ancient Israelites and their pagan sacrifices. Although he never spoke of Christmas as a mere concession.
• 3.^  After Oliver Cromwell's Puritans took over England in 1645, the observance of Christmas was prohibited in 1652 as part of a Puritan effort to rid the country of decadence. This proved unpopular, and when Charles II was restored to the throne, he restored the celebration. The Pilgrims, a group of Puritanical English separatists who came to North America in 1620, also disapproved of Christmas, and as a result it was not a holiday in New England. The celebration of Christmas was actually outlawed from 1659 to 1681 in Boston, a prohibition enforced with a fine of five shillings. The English of the Jamestown settlement and the Dutch of New Amsterdam, on the other hand, celebrated the occasion freely. Christmas fell out of favor again after the American Revolution, as it was considered an "English custom." Interest was revived by Washington Irving's Christmas stories, German immigrants, and the homecomings of the Civil War years. December 25 was declared a federal holiday in the United States on June 26, 1870.
• 4.^  In Stromateis, I, xxi in P.G., VIII, 888.

// Events The Iberian peninsula is conquered by Arab and Berber Muslims, thus ending the Visigothic rule, and starting almost eight centuries of Muslim presence there. ... Wikimedia Commons has media related to: England Inter. ... Bede depicted in an early medieval manuscript Depiction of Bede from the Nuremberg Chronicle, 1493 Bede (Latin Beda), also known as Saint Bede or, more commonly, the Venerable Bede (ca. ... The Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum (in English: Ecclesiastical History of the English People) is a work in Latin by the Venerable Bede on the history of the Christian church in England, and of England generally. ... The pope is the Catholic Patriarch and Bishop of Rome, and leader of the Catholic Church. ... Saint Gregory I, or Gregory the Great (called the Dialogist in Eastern Orthodoxy) (circa 540 - March 12, 604) was pope of the Catholic Church from September 3, 590 until his death. ... Saint Mellitus (d. ... Heathen is a term used both to describe a person who does not follow an organized religion, and also a modern practitioner of Heathenry. ... The Anglo-Saxons refers collectively to the groups of Germanic tribes who achieved dominance in southern Britain from the mid-5th century, forming the basis for the modern English nation. ... An Israelite is a member of the Twelve Tribes of Israel, descended from the twelve sons of the Biblical patriarch Jacob who was renamed Israel by God in the book of Genesis, 32:28. ... Unfinished portrait miniature of Oliver Cromwell by Samuel Cooper, 1657. ... // Events January 10 - Archbishop Laud executed on Tower Hill, London. ... Charles II (29 May 1630–6 February 1685) was the King of England, King of Scots, and King of Ireland from 30 January 1649 (retrospectively de jure) or 29 May 1660 (de facto) until his death. ... Pilgrims Going to Church by George Henry Boughton (1867) The Pilgrims were a group of English religious separatists who sailed from Europe to North America in the early 17th century, in search of a home where they could freely practice their style of religion. ... Events September 6 - English emigrants on the Mayflower depart from Plymouth, England for the future New England and arrive at the end of the year. ... While the states marked in red show the core of New England, the regions cultural influence may cover a greater or lesser area than shown. ... // Events May 25 - Richard Cromwell resigns as Lord Protector of England following the restoration of the Long Parliament, beginning a second brief period of the republican government called the Commonwealth. ... Events March 4 - Charles II of England grants a land charter to William Penn for the area that will later become Pennsylvania. ... Jamestown is the name of the following places in the United States of America: Jamestown, California Jamestown, Colorado Jamestown, Indiana Jamestown, Kansas Jamestown, Kentucky Jamestown, Louisiana Jamestown, Missouri Jamestown, New York Jamestown, North Carolina Jamestown, North Dakota Jamestown, Ohio Jamestown, Oklahoma Jamestown, Pennsylvania Jamestown, Rhode Island Jamestown, South Carolina Jamestown... Dutch Revival buildings from the early 20th century on Pearl Street in lower Manhattan recall the Dutch origins of the city. ... The American Revolution is the series of events, ideas, and changes that resulted in the political separation of thirteen colonies in North America from the British Empire and the creation of the United States of America. ... Washington Irving Washington Irving (April 3, 1783 – November 28, 1859) was an American author of the early 19th century. ... The American Civil War (1861–1865) was fought in North America within the United States of America, between twenty-three mostly northern states of the Union and the Confederate States of America, a coalition of eleven southern states that declared their independence and claimed the right of secession from the... June 26 is the 177th day of the year (178th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 188 days remaining. ... 1870 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ...

References

• "Christmas" (1913). The Catholic Encyclopedia.
• This article incorporates text from the public domain Catholic Encyclopedia.
• "Christmas" (1975). The New Columbia Encyclopedia. New York and London: Columbia University Press.
• Christmas in South America.
• Duchesne, Louis (1889). Les origines du culte chrétien: Etude sur la liturgie latine avant Charlemagne. Paris.
• Talley, Thomas J. (1986). The Origins of the Liturgical Year. New York: Pueblo Publishing Company.
• Time magazine, Dec. 13, 2004.
• Restad, Penne L. (1995). Christmas in America: A History. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-509300-3

The public domain comprises the body of all creative works and other knowledge—writing, artwork, music, science, inventions, and others—in which no person or organization has any proprietary interest. ... The Catholic Encyclopedia is an English-language encyclopedia published in 1913 under the auspices of the Catholic University of America, designed to give authoritative information on the entire cycle of Catholic interests, action and doctrine. // History The writing of the encyclopedia began on January 11, 1905 under the supervision of... Louis Marie Olivier Duchesne (September 13, 1843 - April 21, 1922) was a French priest, philologist, and historian. ...

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Christmas

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• Christmas Traditions of UK
• Christmas in Asia (Various Countries)
• Christmas Traditions in Australia