Why is Christmas celebrated?
There are lots of Christmas traditions that are practiced in so many countries all over the world. These traditions can be as diverse as the culture and religious practices of those countries. The story of Christmas starts with the birth of the baby Jesus in Bethlehem. It is believed that Jesus was born on December 25th, and this why it was likely chosen as a traditional time of celebration among many ancient cultures.
On the day of the birth of Jesus Christ, an angel appeared before all the shepherds, and said a savior is born in the city of David. It is stated in history that there was a heavenly host praising the Lord. These facts indicate that Christmas is celebrated on this occasion. During the Christmas celebrations, we also see the cheers of Santa Claus.
The origin of this character Santa Claus started in the 4th century, with Saint Nicholas, Bishop of Myra, an area in current turkey. It seems he was more generous towards children. He died in 340 AD, but his mortal remains were stolen by Italian sailors, and brought to Italy to increase his popularity in Europe. He was known to perform miracles, and devotion for him has increased. He became a patron Saint for Russians, Greeks, French and Belgians. Many churches were dedicated to him, and in the 12th century an official holiday was given in his honor. The feast of St. Nicholas was celebrated in Europe on December 6th, and the day was marked for gift giving and charity. The Dutch spelling of his name is ‘Sint Nikolaas’, and this was transformed into ‘Sinterklaas’. When the tradition was brought to America in the 17th century, the Anglicans called him Santa Claus.
The Christmas tree was first created by Martin Luther. While coming home on an evening of December it seems he could observe the stars shining through the branches of a Fir tree. He came home and created the same effect, and hence the tradition started. The number of Christmas traditions in the US differs by the number of active cultures that have settled in the land. Although the media demonstrates the common type of Christmas celebration, it is peculiar to a particular region.
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