Christmas is the second most important holiday after Easter. It is celebrated by all Christian religions. The celebration of the birth of Christ did not begin immediately. For the first 4 centuries, this day was marked as the Epiphany of the Lord. However, heretics soon appeared who did not recognize the unity of man and God in Christ. Some of them claimed that Jesus was originally an ordinary infant, and only then at the Baptism of Christ was reunited with him. Others said that before his Baptism, Jesus was an ordinary sinful man, and God sent his mind to enter him while bathing in the Jordan. In order to prevent such heresy from clouding the consciousness of Christians, it was decided to combine Epiphany and the Nativity of Christ, calling it the Epiphany. The day of January 6 was chosen as the ratio between the first Adam, who brought sin and death, and the second, that is, Jesus, who brought resurrection and salvation.
The Roman Church decided to separate Christmas and the Baptism of Christ. December 25 was chosen for the Savior's birthday. At this time, the pagan Romans celebrated the day of the Invincible Sun – it was believed that spring was approaching from this day. It was a day of fun for slaves and children. That is why December 25 could not have been better suited for celebrating the Birth of Christ, the Savior of the world. After the Roman Church introduced this custom, it began to spread to other Orthodox churches.
The Story of the Nativity of Christ
According to the Bible, Mary, being pregnant, together with her husband Joseph, had to go to Bethlehem, as the census was taking place. They were unable to spend the night at the hotel, so they had to spend the night in an ordinary cave, where the cattle were hidden from bad weather.
The birth started right in the cave. Since it was necessary to bring a midwife to help Mary with the delivery, Joseph had to leave his wife. When he returned to the cave with a midwife named Salome, the birth had already taken place. The infant Jesus immediately took his mother's breast. The birth of the Savior was marked by a bright light that filled the cave. in honor of the great event, a bright star lit up in the sky. It was through her that the magi found the house in which Mary and Christ had already found shelter, and brought their gifts to him. The Star of Bethlehem is still one of the main symbols of Christmas, it is used in the design of iconostases, as well as in the construction of decorative elements of various buildings, as Christmas souvenirs and toys. Also, the star on top of the Christmas tree is associated with Bethlehem. The angel conveyed the news of the birth of Jesus to the simple shepherds, and they hurried to worship the baby.
After the birth of Christ, King Herod, who ruled in Judea at that time, learned about the appearance of the great Savior. He gave the order to kill all infants under the age of two. The angel warned Joseph about this, ordering him to leave Judea and flee to Egypt with his wife and little Savior. They were saved in this way, not returning to Judea until Herod died.
Christmas in other countries
Western Christians celebrate Christmas on a large scale. They have it on December 25.
In Germany, in addition to the traditional feast with pastries, various fairs and concerts are held.
In the United States of America, this holiday is also celebrated on December 25. On the eve of this day, Christmas trees are decorated. Children hang Christmas socks by the fireplace for Santa Claus to put presents in. The house is decorated with holly and mistletoe branches.
In France, children display shoes for gifts, and adults pay special attention to charity.
In Italy, the whole family goes to a theatrical production of the birth of Christ, then at home they all bake treats made of gingerbread dough, as well as prepare fish dishes.
