Christmas is a celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. Christmas is celebrated on December 25th. December 25 is not the actual birthdate of Jesus (which is unknown), but was the date on which a pagan festival was celebrated. Christian leaders decided to celebrate Jesus' birth on this date in order to provide a Christian alternative to pagan celebrations.

The accounts of Jesus' birth and early childhood are found in the Bible in Matthew 1:18-2:23, Luke 1:26-56 and Luke 2.

Many customs associated with Christmas were given a religious significance when they were first instituted or first associated with Christmas, though many if not most people no longer know the original meanings of the customs.

Christmas trees

There are two legends concerning the origin of the Christmas tree. One concerns Boniface, a bishop in 8th-century Germany. Boniface felled an oak which was sacred to worshippers of Thor; legend has it that he then used a fir tree to symbolize the Trinity to the people. The second legend is that Martin Luther, the father of the Protestant movement, was impressed by seeing the stars shining through the trees one night as he walked home, and subsequently took a tree inside and placed lit candles on it to recreate the scene for his family.

For more information, see The Chronological History of the Christmas Tree by Maria Hubert.

Santa Claus/St. Nicholas

The mythical figure of Santa Claus originated from legends surrounding Nicholas, a 4th-century bishop of Myra. Santa's Net has an article describing the myths.

Other traditions

• Advent wreaths by Ken Collins
• Origins of Christmas Traditions by Shonnie Scarola

More information

• The Season of Christmas by Ken Collins
• Article on Christmas from the Catholic Encyclopedia