Christmas 2022: History, Significance and all you need to know about the festival

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Just a few days to go for the annual celebration of ‘Christmas Day' all across the globe. The festive aura is already here, with all the glimmering lights, lively preparations for the day and the much excitement among the followers of Jesus and everyone who celebrates him - making this year's Christmas a special day among the jubilant moments of the year.

Christmas is celebrated to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ. December 25 is mainly celebrated as Christmas Day all across the world.

As stated in the New Testament, Jesus was born to Joseph and Mary in Bethlehem. Important to note that the exact date of his birth is not known. The Western Christian Church had placed Christmas on December 25. It was decided during the early-to-mid-fourth century. Later on, the world accepted the date as Christmas Day.

In this growing new world, and even historically, not just the christians, Christmas is also celebrated by diverse communities across the globe. The major part of its celebration includes: caroling, gift-giving, playing christmas music, viewing a Nativity Play, special meal, church services, exchanging christmas cards, decorating houses, premises, and even christmas trees etc.

Several related and usually interconvertible figures, more often known as - Santa Claus, Saint Nicholas, Christkind, and Father Christmas - bring gifts to children amid the festival season.

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The legend of Santa Claus traced back hundreds of years to a monk named St Nicholas. St Nicholas is said to have been born around 280 AD and that he became the subject of legends for the kind of admiration he received for his kindness and religiosity.

A special Christmas family meal is traditionally an important part of the holiday's celebration, and the food that is served varies greatly from country to country. Some regions have special meals for Christmas Eve, such as Sicily, where 12 kinds of fish are served. In the United Kingdom and countries influenced by its traditions, a standard Christmas meal includes turkey, goose or other large bird, gravy, potatoes, vegetables, sometimes bread and cider. Special desserts are also prepared, such as Christmas pudding, mince pies, Christmas cake, Panettone and Yule log cake. Traditional Christmas meal in Central Europe is fried carp or other fish.

Traditionally, a Christmas family meal is an important part of the celebration. Regions across the world have special preferences in their Christmas family meal. For example, in Sicity, an island region in Italy, 12 kinds of fishes are served as a part of the meal. However, in the United Kingdom, and countries that are influenced by the Christmas festivities of it, often bring goose or other large bird, potatoes, gravy, vegetables, sometimes bread and cider to their platter in the festival. Desserts, christmas cake, Yule log cake, Panettone and Christmas pudding are also included in such meals.