Christmas
Billions of people across the world celebrate Christmas on December 25 to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ. The day is celebrated with great fanfare as it is believed that God came into this world in the form of man to atone for the sins of humanity. Jesus was born to Mary, assisted by her husband Joseph, in the city of Bethlehem. It is widely believed that the birth took place in a stable, surrounded by farm animals, though neither the stable nor the animals figure in the Biblical accounts. In Luke 2:7, there is a mention of Mother Mary wrapping Jesus in bundle of cloth and placing him in a manger as the couple was not given a room in the inn.
An angel guided the shepherds from the fields surrounding Bethlehem to see Jesus first. There is also mention of many astrologers bringing gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh for baby Jesus. It is said that the visitors reached the manger by following the mysterious star, known as Star of Bethlehem.
In the West, from November onwards, there is festive spirit in the air denoting that Christmas is not far. Multi-coloured electric bulbs decorate the busy thoroughfares, shopping centres and malls, and at some places artificial snow is painted on the windows of the shops.
All Christians decorate their homes ahead of Christmas Day. They tastefully decorate the Christmas tree and hang small gifts to it. Under the tree, many of them place gifts for their family and friends. A big star is also hung outside the house. Children also hang stockings outside their homes with the belief that Santa Claus would come with beautiful gifts.
Santa Claus is a jolly, rounded, bearded man who brings good cheer at Christmas. He is a special attraction for the students. There is recorded evidence dating back to 4th century in Turkey where Santa Claus was known as Dutch Sinterklaas, which in today’s world is Saint Nicholas whose feast is celebrated on December 6. It is stated that Nicholas was Bishop of Myra, who was known for his love for children, generosity, and showering gifts. Many people celebrate the feast by giving gifts. Among other popular beliefs is that accompanied by helpers, Saint Nicholas finds out about children’s behaviour in the last year before showering a gift.
The most perfect images of Santa Claus in most minds of children are a man with red robe and white flowing beard with a heavy sack on his back filled with goodies riding a sleigh drawn by reindeers. Some children write letters to Santa for granting them their gifts. In most houses the elders buy clothes and gifts for their families. All Christians attend the special midnight mass held at Churches to mark the birth of Lord Jesus. Some of them take part in Carol singing and gather arms for the needy.
Special food is cooked to celebrate the festival at homes. In England and other countries, Christmas meal consists of turkey or goose, meat, gravy, potatoes, vegetables, bread and cider. Special desserts are also made like Christmas pudding, mince pies and plum cake. These cakes are given to friends too. Some of them give special Christmas cards which also mentions about the coming New Year. In present times, gift giving has become a tradition of sorts and many retail markets and shops offer special discounts to attract the customers.
Boxing Day
Many countries like England and Australia observe the following day after Christmas as ‘Boxing Day’. The word dates back to the Middle Ages when churches would place an ‘alms box’ in which people would place gifts for distributing to the poor. The tradition continues even today when gifts are handed over to the daily helpers like postal staff and newspaper delivery boys. In Australia and England, cricket matches, especially the Ashes, begin on this day.
New Year
Across the globe, for many people the New Year day is different. According to the Gregorian calendar, the New Year falls on January 1, exactly six days after Christmas. Plutarch and Macrobius noted that since 700 BC during King Numa Pompilius times the order of months in the Roman calendar has been January to December. Traditionally, Christians believe that on January 1, Jesus was circumcised and christened Jesus (Luke 2:21). All over the world, the Gregorian calendar is used as the official calendar.
In India, different states celebrate the New Year on different dates. People in Punjab, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu celebrate the New Year on April 14, while In Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Kashmir the New Year is celebrated on the first day of the first month of Chaitra (usually falls in March-April) known as Ugadi/Gudi Padwa/ Navreh. Sindhis observe the day as Cheti Chand.
The Chinese and Vietnamese celebrate the New Year on the new moon of the first lunar month, approximately four to eight weeks before spring i.e. from January 21 to February 21.
Have you ever wondered who ushers in the New Year first on January 1? As there are different time zones across the globe, the New Year moves quickly from one place to another. The first time zone to usher in the New Year is just west of the International Date Line, while the time zone to the east of the Date Line is in the previous day, a good 23-hour behind. It is believed that central Pacific Ocean island nation of Kiribati’s uninhabited Caroline Island ushers in the New Year first.
Across the globe special programmes are organized to ring in the New Year on December 31. The New Year is welcomed with toasts of champagne, and greetings of a ‘Happy New Year’ ahead. Even the electronic channels are not far behind in putting together entertainment programmes to ring in the New Year. In the West, the festivities that begin on December 24 last a good 12 days ending on January 6. However, some countries celebrate Christmas on January 6 or 7.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
No comments:
Post a Comment