Christmas History

Gifts Exchange Ceremony

Christmas Decorations

Christmas Eve

Christmas Trivia

Christmas Feast

Colors of Christmas

Christmas Carols

Christmas is one of the most popular festivals around the world.

The approaching winter season indicates us that Christmas is around and we usually associate the winter with the Christmas celebration and

with 25th December as the birth of Lord Christ

However the history of Christmas dates back over 4000 years and it tells us that celebration during the winter season were common, even way before the Christ was born.

It has been celebrated at different places for different reasons and date of the celebration was fixed to be 25th December quite later.

Christmas Eve• The day is preceded by Christmas Eve, which falls on December 24, and

followed by eleven days of the festival, ending on January 6.

• On Christmas Eve, houses are cleaned from top to bottom and are decorated beautifully with lights and other lovely festoons

• Planning dinners on Christmas Eve is a tradition that follows since a long time. Usually, a typical Christmas Eve is celebrated by organizing a family dinner or an elaborate meal

• The main attraction and highlight of Christmas Eve is the arrival of the famous and everyone's favorite - the legendary character Santa Claus

• The idea is to have fun and spread good cheer, on Christmas Eve.

Christmas TriviaThe word 'Christmas is an old English word and is a contracted version of 'Christ's Mass'.

The tradition of ringing church bells on Christmas morning dates back to the medieval times. The ringing bells symbolize the birth of Jesus Christ.

The tradition of gift-giving during Christmas has originated from the legendary characters of the Three Wise Men, who brought presents to Jesus, when he was born.

Many people believe that the legendary character Santa Claus is based on a real person named St. Nicholas. It is also believed that St. Nicholas brings in Christmas gifts, on the Eve of the festival.

Holy represents the crown worn by Lord Jesus Christ, when he was crucified and the red color of the berries represents his blood.

Christmas is the season, when the world witnesses the maximum sale of diamonds.

Every year, during the Christmas season, more than a billion cards are sold in UK.

Rudolph, the legendary reindeer of Santa Claus, was a creation of Montgomery Ward. He created it for the purpose of a holiday promotion, in the late 1930s.

The world's tallest Christmas tree was erected in America, in 1950. The tree was as high as 76 m.

Candy canes, one of the popular sweet treats used for Christmas, originally were straight white sticks of sugar candy. They were used as an embellishment for Christmas tree. The ends of the candy were bent by Cologne Cathedral, to symbolize shepherd's crook

Christmas DecorationsThe Wreath The wreath of evergreen leaves symbolizes hope and life

The Star

The Christmas Tree A decorated Christmas tree with candles and lights and gifts heaped around its base is the center of attraction at Christmas. Normally, a two-feet tree is enough for a normal-sized house

Ornaments Small teddies, dolls, miniature hats, pinecones, colorful balls, clip on fairies, daisies, hollies and candies are just of the items that one can use as Christmas ornaments to decorate the fir tree

Lights One should start from the top and descend while wrapping each or alternate branch from inside the tree to the trunk of the tree. Another option is to place lights along the perimeter of the tree. Green wiring will easily merge with the color of the tree.

BellsA unique way to make use of Christmas bells as embellishments for the tree is to make a string of bells and place them around the tree skirt

Christmas Feast

Speaking of the modern day Christmas celebrations, families prepare a menu exclusively for the feast, weeks prior to the celebration. Some of the main delicacies are as follows;

Cookies Scalloped potatoesCocktails & Drinks Roasted Vegetables

Christmas Punch Cheese BreadsCakes and Cupcakes Prosciutto Roasts

Christmas CandyLasagnas

Gingerbread and Cinnamon RollsDry and Rum Cakes

Colors of Christmas

Main colors of Christmas are red and green. They are generally used with white, sparkling silver and gold to compliment them.

Rudolph has a bright red nose and is the favorite reindeer of all children. Red and green candle and flower arrangements of

poinsettia and mistletoe make beautiful centerpieces for Christmas dinner table setting.

Red denotes the festivity and cheery mood of the season

Green from pine trees, topiaries and wreaths is the obvious background for Christmas season and brings Nature into the house,

soothing our senses and sore eyes. The color denotes hope of the arrival of spring and long lasting life.

Gifts Exchange Ceremony

• Celebration of Christmas is incomplete without the exchange of gifts. This custom, which is followed since ages, makes the festival livelier and cheerful.

• Christmas exchange gift games are usually played during the holiday season, in which family members, friends and relatives gather to bestow presents upon each other.

Christmas Carols

Here are few popular carols and songs-

• Silent Nights

• C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S

• Christmas is Coming

• Oh Holy Night!

• Santa Claus is coming to town

Christmas carols add the gaiety and festivity to the celebrations of the festival. Caroling has its roots in ancient Greece, where it originated as 'choraulien' meaning 'to dance to a flute'.