When you hear the words - snowman, Santa Claus, mistletoe, three kings, Bethlehem star, and candy cane, what comes to your mind? Christmas, yes? It is probably the most awaited time of the year wherein people are up on their feet doing preparations in order to fully commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ. Because there are more people who celebrate Christmas, preparations for gifts, food and other activities are done even months before the occasion.
When did people start celebrating Christmas?
Christmas came from the Middle English word Christemasse which means Christ's mass. Annually, the world celebrates the birth of Jesus during Christmas day. Based on real facts, this is just the traditional day of celebration but not Jesus' actual birthday. Before Christ (BC) 800, this day was not that widely acknowledged by people but when Charlemagne was crowned on Christmas day, slowly the prominence of the celebration grew. Today, there are already a lot of modern Christmas traditions like putting up Christmas trees and socks so that Santa Claus can drop his gifts. There are also a lot of public festivals and street parties for outgoing people who want to spend Christmas with friends and acquaintances. Still, there is a big population who would still want the traditional way of spending the day with their family. Are you aware of where all this came from? Then track the history of Christmas!
The Nativity
The Nativity is one of the most popular scenes during Christmas day. People try to recreate the Nativity in the effort to show how important it is to remember the sacrifices of God. Based on the Christian belief, Virgin Mary gave birth to Jesus Christ and accounts of this event have been included in the Bible. According to Gospel Matthew and Luke, Mary and Joseph came to Bethlehem and gave birth to Jesus in a stable because there was no one in the town who was king enough to take them in.
The Three Kings
In the Biblical narration, it is stated that the first people who saw Baby Jesus were comprised of the shepherds because an angel told them that a child was born in the stable. After this, a star was seen by three wise men which led them to the manger. Balthazar, Melchior and Caspar offered their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh to Jesus.
Santa Claus
Because the holiday season is characterized by gifts, Thomas Nast, a popular cartoonist created Santa Claus in 1863. Along with the figure, he also designed Santa Claus' character. Just like the stories that you know this time, Santa Claus with the help of his elves prepares gifts for children who had been very good throughout the whole year.
The way of celebrating Christmas may vary depending on what you believe in or what the tradition is. Nevertheless, keep in mind that the true meaning of Christmas is to commemorate the birth of Christ and the best way to celebrate this is to share your blessings not only with your friends and family members but also with your less fortunate brothers and sisters.
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