Christmas is celebrated on December 25 and is both a sacred religious holiday and a worldwide cultural and commercial phenomenon. For two millennia, people around the world have been observing it with traditions and practices that are both religious and secular in nature. Christians celebrate Christmas Day as the anniversary of the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, a spiritual leader whose teachings form the basis of their religion. Popular customs include exchanging gifts, decorating Christmas trees, attending church, sharing meals with family and friends and, of course, waiting for Santa Claus to arrive. December 25—Christmas Day—has been a federal holiday in the United States since 1870. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year, it is preceded by the season of Advent or the Nativity Fast and initiates the season of Christmastide, which historically in the West lasts twelve days and culminates on Twelfth Night.
The group was composed of a lead singer and a ring of dancers that provided the chorus. Various writers of the time condemned caroling as lewd, indicating that the unruly traditions of Saturnalia and Yule may have continued in this form. “Misrule”—drunkenness, promiscuity, gambling—was also an important aspect of the festival.
When the evening of the 24th became the time for the exchange of gifts, the Christmas mass was set into the late afternoon of that day. Christmas is typically a peak selling season for retailers in many nations around the world. Sales increase dramatically as people purchase gifts, decorations, and supplies to celebrate.
Shoppers can discover 1.8 million square feet of joy at Grapevine Mills or stroll alongHistoric Main Streetand marvel at the Christmas décor while checking off their holiday shopping list with all the charming gifts local stores have to offer. Attend one of the many classic Christmas events, including theHistoric Palace Theatre, home to live performances and beloved classic Christmas Movies, presented by Park Place Lexus Land Rover Jaguar Grapevine, all season long. From home workout equipment to fashionable activewear and accessories, we rounded up everything you and your loved ones need to break a sweat this holiday season. One of the Southeast’s largest and most-anticipated holiday traditions, Speedway Christmas features four million lights strewn across a remarkable four-mile course, with hundreds of creative displays and lights synchronized to Christmas-themed music.
In religious terms, the Christmas season is sometimes considered to extend from Christmas Eve to the feast of the Epiphany or Twelfth Day on January 6. This period is sometimes called Christmastide, though this word can also be used in a more general way to refer to the period from Christmas Eve to New Year’s Day. Popular activities include the decoration of a Christmas tree and the exchange of gifts. Create a snowy paradise with a flurry of decorations including falling snowflakes, icy evergreen forests, picturesque holiday cottages, and more.
Much of the religious observance of Christmas involves the story of Jesus’s birth in a stable in the town of Bethlehem. Some Christians set up Nativity scenes depicting the scene of Jesus’s birth, including figures of Mary, Joseph, and the baby Jesus in a manger. For many Christians, religious observation of Christmas is done alongside other secular aspects of the season, such as the exchange of gifts and Santa Claus. Give away plush holiday elves, penguins and snowmen or reindeer yo-yos. There are decorations and gifts for Christmas for everyone at Oriental Trading.
The Christmas sale has dozens of cute stocking stuffers for those Christmas stockings, so you can stock up now and save. Decorate your tree with Santa and character ornaments, gingerbread ornaments and a wide assortment of dazzling holiday designs. There are holiday bingo cards, whistles, stockings, dinner plates, place holders, wreaths and decorations to make your Christmas festive. Whether you like traditional-looking trees or colorful trees, including white Christmas trees, black Christmas trees, pink, purple, blue or rose gold – The Home Depot is sure to have your perfect match. Browse online or in store to see some of the many other unique styles we offer, including rainbow Christmas trees and eye-catching upside-down Christmas trees. Plus, since artificial Christmas trees are hypo-allergenic and don’t shed needles, they make an ideal option for families with pets or small children.