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Christmas or Christmas Day is a Christian holiday celebrating the birth of Jesus, the central figure of Christianity, on December 25. The word "Christmas" comes from "Christ's mass," and refers the Mass of Christ. The actual birthday of Jesus is not known, and the events of his birth are only recorded in two of the Canonical gospels. 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. Although nominally a Christian holiday, Christmas is also celebrated by an increasing number of non-Christians worldwide, and many of its popular celebratory customs have pre-Christian or secular themes and origins.
Why is Christmas Day on the 25th December?
The early Christians had many arguments as to when it should be celebrated! Also, the birth of Jesus probably didn't happen in the year 1 AD but slightly earlier, somewhere between 2 BC and 7 BC (there isn't a 0 AD - the years go from 1 BC to 1 AD!).
The first recorded date of Christmas being celebrated on December 25th was in 336 AD in the time of the Roman Emperor Constantine (he was the first Christian Roman Emperor). A few years later Pope Julius I officially declared that the birth of Jesus would be celebrated on the 25th December.
There are many different theories as to why Christmas is celebrated on December 25th. A very early Christian tradition said that the day when Mary was told that she would have a very special baby, Jesus. (This is called the Annunciation) was on March 25th - and it's still celebrated today on the 25th March. Nine months after the 25th March is the 25th December! March 25th was also the day some early Christians thought the world had been made and also the day that Jesus died on when he was an adult.
Most of the world uses the Gregorian Calendar implemented by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582. Before that the Roman or Julian Calendar was used (named after Julius Caesar). The Gregorian calendar is more accurate than the Roman calendar which had too many days in a year! When the switch was made 10 days were lost, so that the day that followed the 4th October 1582 was 15th October 1582!
Many “Orthodox” and Coptic Churches still use the Julian Calendar and so celebrate Christmas on the 7th January. And the Armenian Church celebrates it on the 6th January! In some part of the UK, January 6th is still called “Old Christmas” as this would have been the day that Christmas would have celebrated on, if the calendar hadn't been changed. Some people didn't want to use the new calendar as they thought it cheated them out of 10 days!
St Augustine was the person who really started Christmas in the U.K. by introducing Christianity in the 6th century. He came from countries that used the Roman Calendar, so western countries celebrate Christmas on the 25th December. Then people from Britain and Western Europe took Christmas on the 25th December all over the world!
The name 'Christmas' comes from the Mass of Christ (or Jesus). A Mass service (which is sometimes called Communion or Eucharist) is where Christians remember that Jesus died for us and then came back to life. The 'Christ-Mass' service was the only one that was allowed to take place after sunset (and before sunrise the next day), so people had it at Midnight! So we get the name Christ-Mass, shortened to Christmas.
