4. Christmas or Christmas Day (Old English:
Crīstesmæsse, meaning "Christ's Mass") is
an annual festival commemorating the birth
of Jesus Christ, observed most commonly on
December 25 as a religious and cultural
celebration among billions of people around
the world.
5. Christmas Day is a public holiday in many
of the world's nations, is celebrated
culturally by a large number of
non-Christian people, and is an integral
part of the Christmas and holiday season.
6. The celebratory customs associated
in various countries with Christmas
have a mix of pre-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, 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.
7. In addition, several closely
related and often
interchangeable figures,
known as Santa Claus,
Father Christmas, Saint
Nicholas, and Christ kind,
are associated with bringing
gifts to children during the
Christmas season and have
their own body of traditions
and lore.
8. As the years passed, Santa Claus
evolved in popular culture into a
large, heavyset person. One of
the first artists to define Santa
Claus's modern image was Thomas
Nast, an American cartoonist of
the 19th century.
The story that Santa Claus lives
at the North Pole may also have
been a Nast creation.
The idea of a wife for Santa
Claus may have been the creation
of American authors, because
they heard to many children
mention her.
9. Christmas traditions vary from country to country.
Elements common to many nations include the installing
and lighting of Christmas trees, the hanging of Advent
wreaths, Christmas stockings, candy canes, and the
creation of Nativity scenes depicting the birth of Jesus
Christ. Christmas carols may be sung and stories told
about such figures as the Baby Jesus, St Nicholas,
Santa Claus, Father Christmas, Christkind or
Grandfather Frost. The sending of Christmas cards,
the exchange of Christmastime greetings, observance of
fasting and/or special religious observances such as a
midnight Mass or Vespers on Christmas Eve, the burning
of a Yule log, and the giving and receiving of presents.
CHRISTMAS IN SOME
COUNTRIES
10. Christmas in California
Christmas is a widely celebrated
festive holiday in the United
States. The Christmas and holiday
season begins around the end of
November with a major shopping
kickoff on Black Friday, the day
after the U.S. holiday of
Thanksgiving, though Christmas
decorations and music playing in
stores sometimes extend into the
period between Halloween and
Thanksgiving.
11. EL SALVADOR
In El Salvador children celebrate Christmas by
playing with firecrackers, fountains, such as the
small volcancitos ("little volcanos") and
sparklers, estrellitas ("little stars"). Teenagers
and young adults display bigger fireworks or
Roman Candles. Families also have parties in
which they dance and eat. Traditional
Salvadoran Christmas dishes are sauteed turkey
sandwiches in a baguette with lettuce and
radishes, Salvadoran Tamales, and sweet bread
for dessert. Drinks include hot chocolate,
pineapple juice, Salvadoran horchata, Cherry
Salvadoran horchata, and coffee. At 12:00
a.m. on December 25 everyone gathers around
the Christmas tree and opens their presents.
