The Christmas Holiday From The Federal Calendar

Christmas is a Christian occasion that is commended on December 25 to pay tribute to the introduction of Jesus Christ or the timeframe that precedes and after this occasion. Christmas developed more than two centuries into an overall religious and mainstream festivity, fusing numerous pre-Christian, agnostic conventions into the celebrations along the way. Today, Christmas is a period for family and companions to get together and trade presents. Christmas is celebrated within the church of the Lord.

There are similarities and differences between Christmas in America and Christmas in Italy. The Christmas holiday originated with the birth of Jesus Christ on December 25, a day around the shortest day of the year. Therefore, the main reason we celebrate the holiday is to celebrate Christ's birthday. Another reason for celebrating Christmas includes the changing of the seasons and the days that will become short before becoming long again. The shortest day, not necessarily falling on Christmas, is Winter Solstice which happens also to be a Pagan, agricultural holiday to mark the changes is the seasons. Most simply, we celebrate Christmas across the world as inspiration to imitate ethical behaviors of Christ who unconditionally loved all men and women regardless of their beliefs or backgrounds.

To people in America, Christmas occurs on December 25th, a day where children wake up to find presents under the tree. In other traditions, some people go to church to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. However, even though many countries celebrate Christmas, there are different traditions and ways of celebrations. In Hispanic countries, like Spain, Cuba, Columbia and Mexico, they celebrate in a way that contrasts with ours yet are similar to things we can identify with.

No law establishing a religion. Such a rule is great for protecting a Jewish person like me, so I may practice Judaism without being oppressed against, or withheld from protections other religions receive, for example getting vacation on Jewish holidays is protected under the

Ah Christmas, it is said to be the most wonderful time of the year. In the United States Christmas is a time of giving and receiving, spending time with your family, and in most Christian families, celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. Christmas is hands-down the most highly commercialized holiday celebrated by Americans. In fact, according to CBS news, the average American will spend $700 on gifts this holiday season, totaling for a whopping $465 billion spent nation-wide. From mall Santas as far as the eye can see, to hearing Christmas music in every retail store you enter. Christmas is a time of high spirits and high spending in the U.S.

Why waste money on things that are unnecessary? Finally, the holiday saves money for humans. It keeps the little they have in their

The Catholic ways of of practicing the holidays were mostly done to commemorate those who have achieved the beatific vision in Heaven on November 1 each year. The following day, November 2 was All Souls' Day which was the day for remembering the faithful souls and spirits who have not yet been purified and reached Heaven. Catholics celebrated these holidays by the belief system that there is a spiritual connection between those in Heaven or being purified in purgatory who have died and the “church militant” who are the living. Some branches of Catholicism held festivals, others went to Mass to offer a time of prayer, while some sang special hymns to all saints that were chanted from the Octoechoes. Although there may be many contrasting parts in the belief systems of the two worldviews, we can find similarity in that they both honored the dead by recognizing and acknowledging them in their own ways. The native civilizations and Spaniards were alike in that when calling back the spirits they placed flowers and candles in front of the graves. Another event that was alike in terms of celebrating was that both held feasts or festivals. Though the ways of commemorating the dead were

They did not celebrate Christmas, and a holiday from work meant only that they must concentrate even more on prayer.’

When most people think of December they tend to think about Christmas. It is supposed to be a time of everyone coming together, being joyful, and

There is no doubt that Christmas is a religious event but nowadays Christmas becomes more commercialized, as it has been defined as a high consumption season because the gifts giving culture becomes the most important part of Christmas and the consumers want to please their children

According to the American Heritage College Dictionary the word Christmas is defined as “the annual festival of the Christian church commemorating the birth of Jesus: celebrated on December 25 and now generally observed as a legal holiday and an occasion for exchanging gifts.” When one thinks of Christmas they may think of Santa, elves, Jesus, and Christmas music. One such as Scrooge, who hates Christmas and is greedy. However one English author reminds readers Christmas can be found in the most dark people. Charles dickens’s A Christmas Carol helps readers identify the negative effects of greed.

Christianity and Wicca (Paganism/Neo-Paganism), what do you know about these two religions? When I was growing up I believed in the Christian beliefs; however I now practice Wicca. Look closely at the Christian religion and notice how similar it is to Wicca. Although denied by most Christians the similarities are there because “Christianity began in the middle of Pagan culture” (Kane, p. 12). Is the origin of Christianity based on ancient Pagan beliefs or is it wholly original?

The commercialization of the holiday, however, came to be with the arrival of German immigrants. They brought with them the idea of Santa Claus, the Christmas Trees, and the Easter Bunny(Chicchi par.6). Think of how different Americans would be if only Christians celebrated Christmas, and Santa Claus was not a part of the holiday. All of the ads and commercials around this time of year would be drastically different, as well as our literature. All of the books that spur children’s imagination about elves and the North Pole would be lost.

It was in 601 that Pope Gregory I wrote to Melitus (his missionary in England) telling him “not to stop such ancient Pagan festivities” but to “adapt them to the rites of the Church, only changing the reason of them from a heathen to a Christian impulse”. So all those who have been claiming for years that Christmas was, in fact, actually a pagan holiday - you were right and Pope Gregory I handily put it in writing for you.

As aforementioned, the initial true meaning of Christmas is religion - one that has now been muchly downplayed. Of course at first glance religion is only an important element of Christmas for those who are actually religious, for which then religion plays the dominant role of what Christmas is to them. However, religion means to show obligation to something through faith, it could be argued that the majority of society is actually religious. We follow a society which has