What is Christmas?
Christmas is an annual celebration; celebrated on 25th December every year also making it one of the cultural festivals celebrated even by the non-Christians. The main purpose of the festival is to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ to a virgin, Mary (mother of Jesus).
The Birth of Jesus Christ:
When Virgin Mary realized she was going to have a baby, Joseph, her to-be husband still considers snowballsmarriage with her. Later an angel of God appears to him in a dream and says “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit, She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:20-21). Joseph and Mary travel to Bethlehem to deliver the baby. With no place to stay, Mary gives birth to Jesus in a manger (stable).
This was the time of King Herod when he hears the news of the birth of – the king of Jews, he is extremely disturbed. Further, he sends three men to find the baby, who has a dream, warning them not to return to the king. The three wise men follow the dream. Enraged by this, King Herod gives an order to kill every boy child of the age two and below. But Lord appears to Joseph in a dream, “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.” (Matthew 2:12).
How is Christmas celebrated?
Traditionally Christmas starts off by attending a Church service or a mass on the Christmas Eve, 24th of December. Christians also sing carol songs that remark the birth of Christ. Children enact the nativity to illustrate the birth of Christ, by putting up a stage with a baby Jesus, mother Mary, Joseph, sheep, angels and three wise men in a manger with a big star of Bethlehem. These days Christians, as well as non Christians, decorate their homes with lightings, decoration and a Christmas tree. Some also display a nativity crèche, made up of small figurines of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph in a manger.
Traditional Christmas cuisine:
Plumcake, fruit cake, and rum cake are some of the specialties. Christmas meals vary from country to country. In the European countries like UK chicken, goose, turkey dishes along with gravy, bread and vegetables are cooked. In India, the Goan and Mangalorean Christians make verities of sweets called kuswar that include sweets like neureos, shankarpali, kulkuls and snow balls; usually given to neighbors and friends on the occasion. In India, people prefer chicken, beef, pork, prawn, fish, and mutton dishes in their Christmas meal, not to forget the soft sannas.
