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'''Christmas''' or '''Christmas Day''' (Old English: Crīstesmæsse, meaning " Christ's Mass") is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus,<ref>[http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/christmas Christmas], ''Merriam-Webster''. Retrieved 2008-10-06.<br />[http://www.webcitation.org/5kwKlFgsB?url=http%3A%2F%2Fencarta.msn.com%2Fencnet%2Frefpages%2FRefArticle.aspx%3Frefid%3D761556859 Archived] 2009-10-31.</ref><ref name="CathChrit">Martindale, Cyril Charles.[http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/03724b.htm "Christmas"]. ''[[The Catholic Encyclopedia]]''. Vol. 3. New York: Robert Appleton Company,  1908.</ref> observed most commonly on December 25<ref name="Jan7"/><ref name="altdays">Several branches of [[Eastern Christianity]] that use the [[Julian calendar]] also celebrate on December 25 according to that calendar, which is now January 7 on the [[Gregorian calendar]]. Armenian Churches observed the nativity on January 6 even before the Gregorian calendar originated. Most Armenian Christians use the Gregorian calendar, still celebrating Christmas Day on January 6. Some Armenian churches use the Julian calendar, thus celebrating Christmas Day on January 19 on the Gregorian calendar, with January 18 being Christmas Eve.</ref><ref name=4Dates /> as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world.<ref name="NonXiansUSA" /><ref>{{cite web|url = http://www.pewforum.org/2012/12/18/global-religious-landscape-christians/|title = The Global Religious Landscape <nowiki>|</nowiki> Christians|publisher = Pew Research Center|date = December 18, 2012|accessdate = May 23, 2014}}</ref><ref name="Gallup122410">{{cite web|url = http://www.gallup.com/poll/145367/christmas-strongly-religious-half-celebrate.aspx|title = Christmas Strongly Religious For Half in U.S. Who Celebrate It|publisher = Gallup, Inc.|date = December 24, 2010|accessdate = December 16, 2012}}</ref> A [[feast day|feast]] central to the [[Christianity|Christian]] [[liturgical year]], it is prepared for by the season of [[Advent]] or the [[Nativity Fast]] and initiates the season of [[Christmastide]], which historically in the West lasts [[Twelve Days of Christmas|twelve days]] and culminates on [[Twelfth Night (holiday)|Twelfth Night]];<ref name="Forbes">{{cite book|last=Forbes|first=Bruce David|title=Christmas: A Candid History|date=October 1, 2008|publisher=[[University of California Press]]|isbn=9780520258020|page=27|quote=In 567 the Council of Tours proclaimed that the entire period between Christmas and Epiphany should be considered part of the celebration, creating what became known as the twelve days of Christmas, or what the English called Christmastide. On the last of the twelve days, called Twelfth Night, various cultures developed a wide range of additional special festivities. The variation extends even to the issue of how to count the days. If Christmas Day is the first of the twelve days, then Twelfth Night would be on January 5, the eve of Epiphany. If December 26, the day after Christmas, is the first day, then Twelfth Night falls on January 6, the evening of Epiphany itself. After Christmas and Epiphany were in place, on December 25 and January 6, with the twelve days of Christmas in between, Christians gradually added a period called Advent, as a time of spiritual preparation leading up to Christmas.}}<!--|accessdate=December 7, 2015--></ref> in some traditions, Christmastide includes an [[Octave (liturgical)|Octave]].<ref name="Senn2012">{{cite book|last=Senn|first=Frank C.|title=Introduction to Christian Liturgy|year=2012|publisher=Fortress Press|isbn=9781451424331|page=145|quote=We noted above that late medieval calendars introduced a reduced three-day octave for Christmas, Easter, and Pentecost that were retained in Roman Catholic and passed into Lutheran and Anglican calendars.}}<!--|accessdate=December 8, 2015--></ref> Christmas Day is a public [[holiday]] in [[List of holidays by country|many of the world's nations]],<ref>[http://www.pch.gc.ca/pgm/ceem-cced/jfa-ha/index-eng.cfm Canadian Heritage – Public holidays] – ''Government of Canada''. Retrieved November 27, 2009.</ref><ref>[http://www.opm.gov/Operating_Status_Schedules/fedhol/2009.asp 2009 Federal Holidays] – ''U.S. Office of Personnel Management''. Retrieved November 27, 2009.</ref><ref>[http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Governmentcitizensandrights/LivingintheUK/DG_073741 Bank holidays and British Summer time] – ''HM Government''. Retrieved November 27, 2009.</ref> is celebrated culturally by a large number of non-Christian people,<ref name="nonXians"/><ref>[http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-1100842/Why-I-celebrate-Christmas-worlds-famous-atheist.html Why I celebrate Christmas, by the world's most famous atheist] – ''Daily Mail''. December 23, 2008. Retrieved December 20, 2010.</ref><ref>[http://www.siouxcityjournal.com/lifestyles/leisure/article_9914761e-ce50-11de-98cf-001cc4c03286.html Non-Christians focus on secular side of Christmas] – ''Sioux City Journal''. Retrieved November 18, 2009.</ref> and is an integral part of the [[Christmas and holiday season|holiday season]], while some Christian groups reject the celebration. In several countries, celebrating [[Christmas Eve]] on December 24 has the main focus rather than December 25, with gift-giving and sharing a traditional meal with the family.

Irenaeus (c. 130–202) viewed Christ's conception as March 25 in association with the Passion, with the nativity nine months after on December 25.<ref name="Anderson"/> Hippolytus of Rome (170–235) may also have identified December 25 for the birth of Jesus and March 25 for the conception.<ref name="CathChrit"/><ref name="Schmidt">T.C. Schmidt, Hippolytus of Rome: Commentary on Daniel (CreateSpace 2010 ISBN 1453795634) 4 23.3 and [http://www.chronicon.net/chroniconfiles/Hippolytus%20Commentary%20on%20Daniel%20by%20TC%20Schmidt.pdf Hippolytus of Rome: Commentary on Daniel] (Chronicron.net 1st Ed. 2010) 4.23.3. {{wayback|url=http://www.chronicon.net/chroniconfiles/Hippolytus%20Commentary%20on%20Daniel%20by%20TC%20Schmidt.pdf |date=20141221184805 }}</ref> Sextus Julius Africanus (c. 160–c. 240) identified December 25, later to become the most widely accepted date of celebration, as the date of Jesus' birth in 221.<ref name="Britannica">{{cite web | url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/115686/Christmas | title=Christmas | work=Encyclopædia Britannica | date=December 14, 2012 | accessdate=December 16, 2012 | author=Hillerbrand, Hans J.}}</ref> The precise origin of assigning December 25 to the [[birth of Jesus]] is unclear.<ref name="Britannica"/> Various dates were speculated: May 20, April 18 or 19, March 25, January 2, November 17 or 20.<ref name="CathChrit"/><ref name=Coffman/> When celebration on a particular date began, January 6 prevailed at least in the East;<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&tbo=1&q=bullard+%226+January+prevailed%22&btnG= |title=Watson E. Mills, Roger Aubrey Bullard (editors), ''Mercer Dictionary of the Bible'' (Mercer University Press 1990 ISBN 978-0-86554-373-7), p. 142 |publisher=Google |accessdate=December 25, 2013}}</ref> but, except among Armenians (the Armenian Apostolic Church and the Armenian Evangelical Church), who continue to celebrate the birth on January 6, December 25 eventually won acceptance everywhere.<ref name=Coffman>{{cite web|url=http://www.christianitytoday.com/ch/news/2000/dec08.html |title=Elesha Coffman, "Why December 25?" |publisher=Christianitytoday.com |date=August 8, 2008 |accessdate=December 25, 2013}}</ref>

Around the year 386 [[John Chrysostom]] delivered a sermon in [[Antioch]] in favour of adopting December 25 celebration also in the East, since, he said, the conception of Jesus ({{bibleverse||Luke|1:26|31}}) had been announced during the sixth month of Elisabeth's pregnancy with John the Baptist ({{bibleverse||Luke|1:10–13|31}}), which he dated from the duties Zacharias performed on the [[Day of Atonement]] during the seventh month of the [[Hebrew calendar]] Ethanim or Tishri ({{bibleverse||Leviticus|16:29|31}}, {{bibleverse|1|Kings|8:2|31}}) which falls from late September to early October.<ref name="CathChrit"/> That shepherds watched the flocks by night in the fields in the winter time is supported by the phrase "frost by night" in {{bibleverse||Genesis|31:38–40|31}}. A special group known as the shepherds of [[Migdal Eder (biblical location)|Migdal Eder]] ({{bibleverse||Genesis|35:19–21|31}}, {{bibleverse||Micah|4:8|31}}) watched the flocks by night year round pastured for Temple Sacrifice near Bethlehem.<ref name="Gibson">Gibson, David J. (October – December 1965).[http://nabataea.net/birthdate.html The Date of Christ's Birth]. Bible League Quarterly.</ref><ref name="Edersheim">Edersheim, Alfred (1883). The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah. Book II Chapter 6, p. 131.</ref>

==Notes==