Written by As Christmas Day draws near, billions of people all over the world are now getting ready for this joyous time—from putting up colorful lights to decorating Christmas trees, singing Christmas carols, organizing parties, and buying gifts! With the kids waiting excitedly for Santa Claus, we’re also looking forward to spending more time with family and friends and enjoying this holiday season.
But how much do you know about Christmas? Here we’re going to talk about the most festive and celebrated holiday of the year and what makes it so special to us.
Christmas is an annual festival that honors the birth of Jesus on December 25th, who, according to the Christian religion, is the son of God, while non-Christians observe Christmas as a cultural holiday. The word Christmas was from the Old English phrase Cristes Maesse, meaning Christ’s Mass.
Most people celebrate it on the evening of December 24th, also known as Christmas Eve, and carry out various traditions and customs. But did you know that several countries, including Ukraine, Belarus, Romania, Egypt, Kazakhstan, Georgia, Moldova, Ethiopia, Montenegro, and Macedonia, commemorate Christmas on January 7th? It’s because many Orthodox Christians use the Julian calendar, created by Julius Caesar of Rome, instead of the Gregorian calendar.
So what makes Christmas so special for us?
Besides the beautiful decorations we see everywhere and the exchanging of gifts, it’s without a doubt the season of love, gratitude, kindness, and togetherness we share with our families, friends, and community. It’s the time of giving and sharing, especially for the people in need, which speaks of the true meaning of the Christmas Spirit!
There are so many ways you can truly embrace the importance of Christmas other than just gift-giving. You can spread the true meaning of it by doing these practices not just on holidays, but in your daily life too.
- Practice gratitude by thinking and writing down all the things you are grateful for. It’s also great to express your appreciation to the people you have in your life.
- Strengthen your relationship with family and friends by creating a set quality time, whether it’s game night, movie time, weekly dinner outside, or any activities you would enjoy doing together.
- Serve others by volunteering in a soup kitchen or any service project within your community, You can also donate clothes, toys, or food to a charity or shelter for the homeless or people in need.
- Practice being kind. Even the little things count like greeting someone with a smile, giving someone a genuine compliment, comforting a friend, or offering someone a hug.
Christmas is indeed a time of love, gratitude, and sharing as it brings together families and communities. But in the end, spreading the true spirit of Christmas isn’t limited to holidays alone. You can also share the cheer with everyone all year round.
What makes Christmas special to you and the things you’re looking forward to? We’d love to hear your thoughts!
Here’s wishing everyone a Merry Christmas!
