Christmas

Christmas (literally, the Mass of Christ) is a traditional holiday in the Christian calendar which takes place on the 25th of December and celebrates the nativity of Jesus Christ. The word Christmas is often abbreviated to Xmas, possibly because the letter X resembles the Greek letter Χ, which is the first letter of Christ's name as spelled in Greek.

Joyous Noel
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Christmas is also celebrated as a secular holiday throughout much of the world, including countries with small Christian populations, such as Japan. The precise date of the birth and historicity of Jesus are much debated.

The religious celebrations relating to Christmas begin with Advent, the anticipation of Christ's birth, around the start of December, and are marked by special church services. On Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, special services often include a Midnight Mass, or a Mass of the Nativity. The dates and terminology of the seasons following Christmas Day varies, both historically, and in different churches and cultures. In most countries, the Christmas season ends on Twelfth Day, the feast of the Epiphany, the traditional date of the visit of the Three Kings to the child Jesus - in which case, the period from Epiphany until Shrove Tuesday, may be referred to as the Epiphany season (corresponding with Carnival season in some cultures). Candlemas (February 2) is the last festival in the Christian year that is dated by reference to Christmas, and in some countries (eg Latin America) is regarded as the end of the Christmas season.

Countries that celebrate Christmas on the civil date of December 25th recognize the previous day as Christmas Eve, and some of them follow Christmas day with Boxing Day (Also known as St Stephen's Day). In the Netherlands, Germany, and Scandinavia, Christmas Day and Boxing Day are called First and Second Christmas Day.

The Christmas period in some countries, including the United States and the United Kingdom, in practice now begins many weeks before Christmas, which allows for shopping and get-togethers, and extends beyond Christmas Day up to New Year's Day. This later holiday has its own parties, and in Scotland, Hogmanay —which occurs at the New Year— is celebrated more than Christmas.

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