Christmas[3] or
Christmas Day[4][5] is a
holiday observed generally on December 25
[6] to commemorate
the birth of
Jesus, the central figure of
Christianity.
[7][8] The date is not known to be the actual
birthday of Jesus, and may have initially been chosen to correspond with either the day exactly nine months after some early Christians believed
Jesus had been conceived,
[9] the date of the
Roman winter solstice,
[10] or one of various ancient
winter festivals.
[9][11] Christmas is central to the
Christmas and holiday season, and in Christianity marks the beginning of the larger season of
Christmastide, which lasts
twelve days.
[12]Although nominally a
Christian holiday, Christmas is also celebrated by an increasing number of non-Christians worldwide,
[1][13][14] and many of its popular celebratory customs have
pre-Christian or
secular themes and origins. Popular modern customs of the holiday include gift-giving,
music, an exchange of
greeting cards,
church celebrations, a special meal, and the display of various decorations; including
Christmas trees,
lights,
garlands,
mistletoe,
nativity scenes, and
holly. In addition, several similar mythological figures, known as
Saint Nicholas,
Father Christmas and
Santa Claus among other names, are associated with bringing gifts to children during the Christmas season.
[15]Because
gift-giving and many other aspects of the Christmas festival involve heightened economic activity among both Christians and non-Christians, the holiday has become a significant event and a key sales period for retailers and businesses. The economic impact of Christmas is a factor that has grown steadily over the past few centuries in many regions of the world.
