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Christmas is the most important Christian holiday celebrated on
December 25 that commemorates the birth of Jesus of Nazareth.
The story of Christmas is based on the biblical accounts given in the
Gospel of Matthew and the Gospel of Luke. One day about 2,000
years ago an angel named Gabriel appeared to a young Jewish
woman named Mary. Gabriel told Mary she would have a son,
Jesus, who would be the Son of God! Mary was confused and
worried about this sudden news, but she had faith in God and said,
"I am the Lord's servant; let it be as you say.” Mary and her husband-to-be, Joseph, lived in a town called Nazareth. But
they had to travel to the city of Bethlehem to register for a census ordered by the Roman emperor, Caesar Augustus.
When Joseph and Mary got to Bethlehem, there was no place for them to stay because the inn was already full. They
ended up spending the night in a stable, a place where animals were kept. There was probably fresh hay on the floor
that they used for beds. That night, Jesus was born. There was no crib, so they laid baby Jesus in a manger, a feeding
trough for animals. The manger probably had fresh hay in it and made a nice bed for the baby. That night, some
shepherds were in the fields near Bethlehem. An angel appeared to them and gave them the good news that a Savior,
the Messiah, had been born. The angel told the shepherds they could find Jesus lying in a manger. The shepherds
hurried into Bethlehem and found Jesus in the manger, just as the angel had told them.After they had seen Jesus, they
spread the news, and everyone who heard was in awe. Some time later, wise men, or magi, from eastern countries
saw a star in the sky that signaled the birth of a new king. They came to Judea, the region around Jerusalem and
Bethlehem, to worship Jesus, the new king.The wise men followed the star until it was directly above the house where
Jesus was. They found Mary and Jesus in the house and knelt down to worship Him. They brought Jesus gifts of gold,
frankincense, and myrrh, some of the finest things in the ancient world. We celebrate Jesus' birth on Christmas, but no
one really knows what day Jesus was born, or even exactly what year. In 336 A.D., the Western Church, based in
Rome, chose December 25 to celebrate as Christmas, meaning "Christ's Mass." The Eastern Church chose January
6. The day was named Epiphany, meaning "appearance." Eventually the period from December 25 to January 6
became known as the Twelve Days of Christmas.Remembering is a central way that Christians celebrate Christmas. There is a
very long tradition of the Nativity of Jesus in art. . Children perform plays re-telling the events of the Nativity, or sing carols that
reference the event. Some Christians also display a small re-creation of the Nativity, known as a Nativity scene or crib, in their homes,
using figurines to portray the key characters of the event. Live Nativity scenes and tableaux vivants are also performed, using actors and
live animals to portray the event with more realism.
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