ISLAMABAD, Dec. 20 (APP): Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Christ observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. This eve is also known as the eve of Happiness and Joy.
Christmas Day is a public holiday in many countries and celebrated religiously by a majority of Christians.
The early Christian writers suggested various dates for the birth of Jesus Christ. Although the month and date of Jesus’ birth are unknown, by the early-to-mid fourth century the western Christian Church had placed Christmas on December 25, a date that was later adopted in the East. The first recorded Christmas celebration was in Rome in 336 A.D
Today, most of the Christians celebrate on December 25 according to the Gregorian calendar, which has been adopted almost universally in the civil calendars used throughout the world. However, some Eastern Christian Church celebrates Christmas on December 25 of the older Julian calendar, which currently corresponds to January 7 in the Gregorian calendar.
This is not a disagreement over the date of Christmas as such, but rather a preference of which calendar should be used to determine the day that is December 25.
In the council of tours of 567, the Church, with its desire to be universal, “declared the 12 days between Christmas and Epiphany to be one unified festal cycle “, thus giving significance to both the Western and Eastern dates of Christmas.
Christmas is the eve of happiness, joys, colors, celebrations and is a special time to enjoy with all to cheer around and the popular modern customs of the eve includes giving gifts to the friends and relatives, Christmas music, lightning of churches and houses, giving cards, church services, Christmas tree and Santa Claus.
APP/ Saeeda/News Desk
VSN Islamabad
