Christmas Day: Difference between revisions

| duration = 1 day

}}

'''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> 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 central to the 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 and culminates on 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.<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 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 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.

==History==

==External links==

* ''[http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/22042 Christmas: Its Origin and Associations]'', by William Francis Dawson, 1902, from Project Gutenberg

==References==

[[Category:Christmas| ]]

[[Category:Quarter days]]

[[Category:December observances]]