Christmas or Feast of the Nativity is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. Christmas Day is a public holiday in many of the world’s nations is celebrated religiously by a majority of Christians as well as culturally by many non-Christians and forms an integral part of the holiday season centered around it.
Although the month and date of Jesus’ birth are unknown, the church in the early fourth century fixed the date as December 25, which has been adopted almost universally throughout the world.
The celebratory customs associated in various countries with Christmas have a mix of preChristian, Christian, and secular themes and origins. Popular modern customs of the holiday include gift-giving; completing an Advent calendar or Advent wreath; Christmas music and caroling; viewing a Nativity play; an exchange of Christmas cards; church services; a special meal; and the display of various Christmas decorations, including Christmas trees, Christmas lights, nativity scenes, garlands, wreaths, mistletoe, and holly.
In addition, several closely related and often interchangeable figures, known as Santa Claus, Saint Nicholas, and Christkind, are associated with bringing gifts to children during the Christmas season and have their own body of traditions and lore. Because gift-giving and many other aspects of the Christmas festival involve heightened economic activity, the holiday has become a significant event and a key sales period for retailers and businesses. The economic impact of Christmas has grown steadily over the past few centuries in many regions of the world.
~ Courtesy Wikipedia.