CHRISTMAS DAY 1

CHRISTMAS DAY

It is one of the most important celebrations of the year and one of the Christian solemnities that generates the most impact throughout the world due to its color, symbolism and tradition. Christmas Day is celebrated on December 25, one day after the Christmas Eve celebration , however, the Christmas Season runs over a longer period, between the first Sunday of Advent (from the Latin Adventus meaning coming or preparation) that it ranges from November 27 to December 3, until the celebration of the Epiphany of Jesus or the day of the Three Kings , on January 6.

Beginnings of Christmas

From the Latin Nativitas which means Birth, Christmas was a date established by the Christian Council of Nicaea in the year 325 of our Era, in commemoration of the Birth of Christ that took place, according to the gospels, in the 1st century in Israel, in the village of Judah in a town called Bethlehem. Some accounts maintain that this date coincides with the paid festival called Saturnalia or Sol Invictus.in honor of the winter solstice that begins on the same date. The pagan peoples were those who professed polytheism (worship of various gods) other than Judaism and Christianity that are monotheistic. These peoples had the custom to share gifts and make great banquets and offerings to the Sun god so that the crops would return to their crops. What Christianity did was to impose the celebration of Christmas on the same date as the pagan festival, in order to gradually eliminate that belief and spread its own around the world.

christmas celebration

This holiday has become a time of rejoicing and hope. It is a reason for family gatherings, tradition and bonuses. In countries of the northern hemisphere, since it coincides with the winter season, it is traditional to decorate the streets with colorful lights, large Christmas trees, snowmen and pumpkins, the mountains remain covered with snow and the lakes are frozen by low temperatures. , becoming a show that accompanies the Christmas season.

The houses are decorated with magical lights and on Christmas night there are fireworks in all the cities. Families gather for the traditional Christmas dinner, carols are sung and gifts are shared.

The main character is Santa Claus, also known as Saint Nicholas or Santa Claus, who, according to tradition, between the night of December 24 and 25, brings gifts to children and travels the world in his carriage pulled by a group of reindeer.

In some Latin American countries, families perform the Novena de Aguinaldos (December 16 to 24) as a Catholic custom and await the birth of Jesus in the midst of dinner, gifts and celebration

Días Festivos en el Mundo