Christian Holidays
All religions have their special times of the year that are meant to celebrate a special moment in history that they want to remember. One of the most popular and most recognized holidays throughout the world is Christmas. For most, Christmas is a time of giving and togetherness. It is a time to spend with family and friends. And for some, it is a time of great stress and deep pockets. Although merchants have taken the theme of Christmas and commercialized it, many people will first and foremost remember it as the day Jesus Christ, our lord and savior was born. Since about 400 AD, Christians have celebrated Christmas, 'Christ' meaning 'Messiah' the name given to Jesus, and 'Mass' is a religious festival. The real meaning behind Christmas is based on the stories told in Matthew and Luke, chapters 1 and 2, of the Christian bible. Both tell of a virgin woman named Mary who was visited by an angel and told that she was chosen by God to bear a "special" baby. Because this was such an unusual event that most people would not believe, Mary and her husband to be, Joseph, fled from Nazareth to a town called Bethlehem to register their names with the Roman government. When they arrived the
Christmas. In France, Christmas is called Nol and Father Christmas is Pere Noël. Everyone decorates trees and has a big traditional meal with good meat and the best wine. Much like Belgium, France, and Finland, in America families come together and share a big traditional meal on Christmas Eve. Christmas morning is a time of excitement for the children as they wake up to a tree filled with presents from a nighttime visitor. Although each country has adapted its own Christmas traditions, they are primarily similar to each other. All celebrations recognize the birth of Jesus and Father Christmas through festive celebrations that include hearty meals and gift giving. In Belgian, Saint Nicholas brings all the children gifts on December 6 (St. Nicholas Day) and on Christmas Eve a special meal of drinks (aperitif), 'nibbles', seafood, and a special turkey is served. On Christmas Day small family gifts are exchanged while eating a special breakfast 'cougnou', a sweet bread shaped like the baby Jesus. In Finland, many preparations are made for the three holy days, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and Boxing Day. They clean their house from top to bottom and decorate a spruce tree. On Christmas Eve, they will eat rice porridge and drink plum fruit juice while listening to 'The peace of Christmas'. A traditional meal is eaten for dinner and afterwards a family member will hand out the
Some common words found in the essay are:
Matthew Luke, Christmas Eve, Nicholas Christian, Christ King, God Myrrh, Jesus Christ, Eve Christmas, AD Christians, Christmas Christmas, Christmas World, christmas eve, father christmas, traditional meal, st nicholas, internet accessed 8, accessed 8, recognize birth, christmas day, internet accessed, 8 october, baby jesus, 8 october 2000, christmas eve christmas, accessed 8 october,
Approximate Word count = 938
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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