celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ - Christmas

Christmas or Christmas Day is an auspicious religious festival for Christians. It is being celebrated every year on the specified date December 25 with great fervor to commemorate the birth and life of Lord Jesus Christ. Christians on this occasion gather at the churches in the morning for the 'church service', popularly known as mass, for Christ. Christmas, nominally a holiday is observed in various innovative ways apart from following traditional practices that includes: preparation of dishes, exchanging gifts, offering prayers and enjoying meal with family members. Following the centuries old customs and beliefs, Christians will observe Christmas 2013 on Wednesday in the month of December. 

For pilgrims and ardent followers of Jesus, Christmas is a season for pilgrimage. To make long and tiresome journeys to shrines or the sacred city Bethlehem, located in Palestine, Jerusalem that is believed to be the birthplace of Jesus according to the New Testament Gospels of Luke and Matthew. 

Merriment of Christmas has a long history and believed to bring goodwill. For many people, this festival is truly a magical season as they can stay at their houses and spend some good moments with their friends and family members. Christmas is a very special occasion for children because they fantasize Santa Claus traveling a long journey carrying fancy gifts for them. 

The festivity of Christmas usually continues nearly for a month. But preparation gears up a few weeks ahead of Christmas. Houses, churches and offices are fascinatingly embellished with colourful lights to mark the religious festival in a grand way. Delicious cuisines and traditional dishes such as turkey, fruit cake, roasted potatoes, fudges and more are an integral part of this celebration. 

Christmas is celebrated across the world following customs that varies from one to another country. But certain customs prevails irrespective of geographical boundary that includes sending warm Christmas greetings, fancy Christmas gifts and Christmas cards; to hold nativity plays, beautify Christmas tree and visit church to sing Christmas songs praising or reliving baby Jesus and Holy Mother Mary. 

The excitement of the festival is also expressed and shared with lovely and snappy Christmas SMS or messages. Happy Christmas and Merry Christmas quotes available in varied languages are also popular as successful medium to share the spirit of joy and peace of the occasion. 

Christmas tree, known as Yule tree, has a distinctive significance in this festival. The Christmas tree is adorned with beautifully wrapped gifts, ribbons and attractive items to make the occasion more pleasant. But with the growing awareness to protect trees and go eco-friendly, people now opting for artificial Yule tree at their houses to observe Christmas. 

Christmas is the best time for a vacation. As New Year follows the festivity, people plan for long rejuvenating vacation making the occasion a memorable one. 

HISTORY OF CHRISTMAS TREE

Did a celebration around a Christmas tree on a bitter cold Christmas Eve at Trenton, New Jersey, turn the tide for Colonial forces in 1776? According to legend, Hessian mercenaries were so reminded of home by a candlelit evergreen tree that they abandoned their guardposts to eat, drink and be merry. Washington attacked that night and defeated them.

The Christmas tree has gone through a long process of development rich in many legends, says David Robson, Extension Educator, Horticulture, with the Springfield Extension Center.

Some historians trace the lighted Christmas tree to Martin Luther. He attached lighted candles to a small evergreen tree, trying to simulate the reflections of the starlit heaven -- the heaven that looked down over Bethlehem on the first Christmas Eve.

Until about 1700, the use of Christmas trees appears to have been confined to the Rhine River District. From 1700 on, when lights were accepted as part of the decorations, the Christmas tree was well on its way to becoming a tradition in Germany. Then the tradition crossed the Atlantic with the Hessian soldiers.

Some people trace the origin of the Christmas tree to an earlier period. Even before the Christian era, trees and boughs were used for ceremonials. Egyptians, in celebrating the winter solstice -- the shortest day of the year -- brought green date palms into their homes as a symbol of "life triumphant over death". When the Romans observed the feast of saturn, part of the ceremony was the raising of an evergreen bough. The early Scandinavians were said to have paid homage to the fir tree.

To the Druids, sprigs of evergreen holly in the house meant eternal life; while to the Norsemen, they symbolized the revival of the sun god Balder. To those inclined toward superstition, branches of evergreens placed over the door kept out witches, ghosts, evil spirits and the like.

This use does not mean that our Christmas tree custom evolved solely from paganism, any more than did some of the present-day use of sighed in various religious rituals.

Trees and branches can be made purposeful as well as symbolic. The Christmas tree is a symbol of a living Christmas spirit and brings into our lives a pleasant aroma of the forest. The fact that balsam fir twigs, more than any other evergreen twigs, resemble crosses may have had much to do with the early popularity of balsam fir used as Christmas trees.