Editing Christmas (section)

== Observance and traditions ==
{{further|Christmas traditions|Observance of Christmas by country}}
[[File:Christmas at the Church of the Annunciation, Nazareth, 1965.jpg|alt=Christmas at the Annunciation Church in Nazareth, 1965. Photo by Dan Hadani.|thumb|Christmas at the [[Basilica of the Annunciation|Annunciation Church]] in Nazareth, 1965]]
[[File:Map of Countries that do not recognize Christmas as Public Holiday.svg|thumb|Dark brown – countries that do not recognize Christmas on December 25 or January 7 as a public holiday. Light brown – countries that do not recognize Christmas as a public holiday, but the holiday is given observance]]
[[File:Complete-church-midnight-mass (3135957575).jpg|thumb|Many Christians attend [[church service]]s to celebrate the [[Nativity of Jesus|birth of Jesus Christ]]<ref name="Jespersen2011">{{cite book|last=Jespersen|first=Knud J. V.|title=A History of Denmark|date=June 21, 2011|publisher=Macmillan International Higher Education|isbn=978-0-230-34417-4|page=91}}</ref>]]

Christmas Day is celebrated as a major festival and public holiday in countries around the world, including many whose populations are mostly non-Christian. In some non-Christian areas, periods of former colonial rule introduced the celebration (e.g. Hong Kong); in others, Christian minorities or foreign cultural influences have led populations to observe the holiday. Countries such as Japan, where Christmas is popular despite there being only a small number of Christians, have adopted many of the cultural aspects of Christmas, such as gift-giving, decorations, and Christmas trees. A similar example is in [[Turkey]], being Muslim-majority and with a small number of Christians, where Christmas trees and decorations tend to line public streets during the festival.{{citation needed|date=December 2024}}

Many popular customs associated with Christmas developed independently of the commemoration of Jesus's birth, with some claiming that certain elements are Christianized and have origins in pre-Christian festivals that were celebrated by pagan populations who were later [[Christianization|converted to Christianity]]; other scholars reject these claims and affirm that Christmas customs largely developed in a Christian context.<ref name="McGrath2015">{{cite book |last1=McGrath |first1=Alister E. |title=Christianity: An Introduction |date=January 27, 2015 |publisher=John Wiley & Sons |isbn=978-1-118-46565-3 |page=239 |language=en}}</ref><ref name="Huckabee2021">{{cite web |last1=Huckabee |first1=Tyler |title=No, Christmas Trees Don't Have 'Pagan' Roots |url=https://relevantmagazine.com/current/nation/no-christmas-trees-dont-have-pagan-roots/ |publisher=Relevant Magazine |access-date=December 9, 2022 |language=English |date=December 9, 2021}}</ref> The prevailing atmosphere of Christmas has also continually evolved since the holiday's inception, ranging from a sometimes raucous, drunken, [[carnival]]-like state in the [[Middle Ages]],<ref name="Murray" /> to a tamer family-oriented and children-centered theme introduced in a 19th-century transformation.<ref name=standiford /><ref name=AFP /> The celebration of Christmas was banned on more than one occasion within certain groups, such as the [[Puritans]] and [[Jehovah's Witnesses]] (who do not celebrate birthdays in general), due to concerns that it was too unbiblical.<ref name="Durston" /><ref name="Barnett" /><ref>{{cite book |last1=Neal |first1=Daniel |title=The History of the Puritans |url=https://archive.org/details/nealshistorypur00toulgoog/page/132/mode/2up |access-date=December 25, 2023 |date=1822 |publisher=William Baynes and Son |page=193}} (page 133 in the link above)</ref> [[Celtic nations|Celtic]] winter herbs such as [[mistletoe]] and [[ivy]], and the custom of kissing under a mistletoe, are common in modern Christmas celebrations in the English-speaking countries.<ref>{{Cite web |last=NEWS |first=SA |date=December 24, 2022 |title=Christmas Day 2022: Facts, Story & Quotes About Merry Christmas |url=https://news.jagatgururampalji.org/christmas-day-special-gift/ |access-date=December 26, 2022 |website=SA News Channel |language=en-US}}</ref>

The pre-Christian [[Germanic peoples]]—including the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse—celebrated a winter festival called [[Yule]], held in the late December to early January period, yielding modern English ''yule'', today used as a synonym for ''Christmas''.<ref name="SIMEK379">Simek (2007:379).</ref> In Germanic language-speaking areas, numerous elements of modern Christmas folk custom and iconography may have originated from Yule, including the [[Yule log]], [[Yule boar]], and the [[Yule goat]].<ref>Coffman, Elesha. [http://www.christianitytoday.com/history/newsletter/2000/dec08.html "Why December 25?"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080919140214/http://www.christianitytoday.com/history/newsletter/2000/dec08.html |date=September 19, 2008 }} ''Christian History & Biography'', ''[[Christianity Today]]'', 2000.</ref><ref name="SIMEK379" /> Often leading a ghostly procession through the sky (the [[Wild Hunt]]), the long-bearded god [[Odin]] is referred to as "the Yule one" and "Yule father" in Old Norse texts, while other gods are referred to as "Yule beings".<ref name="SIMEK-2010">Simek (2010:180, 379–380).</ref> On the other hand, as there are no reliable existing references to a Christmas log prior to the 16th century, the burning of the Christmas block may have been an early modern invention by Christians unrelated to the pagan practice.<ref name="Weiser1958">{{cite book |last1=Weiser |first1=Franz Xaver |title=Handbook of Christian Feasts and Customs |date=1958 |publisher=[[Harcourt (publisher)|Harcourt]]}}</ref>

Among [[Christendom|countries with a strong Christian tradition]], a variety of Christmas celebrations have developed that incorporate regional and local cultures. For example, in eastern Europe Christmas celebrations incorporated pre-Christian traditions such as the [[Koleda]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.encyclopediaofukraine.com/pages%5CK%5CO%5CKoliadaIT.htm |title=Koliada |publisher=Encyclopediaofukraine.com |access-date=November 19, 2012}}</ref> which shares parallels with the [[Christmas carol]].

=== Church attendance ===

Christmas Day (inclusive of its [[Vigil#Eves of religious celebrations|vigil]], Christmas Eve), is a [[Liturgical calendar (Lutheran)#Festivals|Festival]] in the [[Lutheran Church]]es, a [[solemnity]] in the [[Roman Catholic Church]], and a [[Principal Feast]] of the [[Anglican Communion]]. Other Christian denominations do not rank their feast days but nevertheless place importance on Christmas Eve/Christmas Day, as with other Christian feasts like Easter, Ascension Day, and Pentecost.<ref>{{cite web |title=2018 Worship and Music Planning Calendar |url=https://gbod-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/legacy/kintera-files/worship/2018-Music-Worship-Planning-Calendar.docx |publisher=[[The United Methodist Church]]|year=2018|access-date=December 9, 2018}}</ref> As such, for Christians, attending a Christmas Eve or Christmas Day [[church service]] plays an important part in the recognition of the [[Christmastide|Christmas season]]. Christmas, along with Easter, is the period of the highest annual church attendance. A 2010 survey by [[LifeWay Christian Resources]] found that six in ten Americans attend church services during this time.<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Stetzer |first1=Ed |title=What Is Church Attendance Like During Christmastime? New Data From LifeWay Research |url=https://www.christianitytoday.com/edstetzer/2015/december/what-is-church-attendance-like-during-christmastime-new-dat.html |magazine=[[Christianity Today]] |date=December 14, 2015 |access-date=December 9, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180129024022/http://www.christianitytoday.com/edstetzer/2015/december/what-is-church-attendance-like-during-christmastime-new-dat.html |archive-date=January 29, 2018 |url-status=live }}</ref> In the United Kingdom, the Church of England reported an estimated attendance of 2.5{{nbsp}}million people at Christmas services in 2015.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/10/27/british-families-only-attend-church-at-christmas-new-figures-sug/ | title=British families only attend church at Christmas, new figures suggest | first=John | last=Bingham | date=October 27, 2016 | work=[[The Daily Telegraph]] | access-date=December 24, 2017 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171227191442/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/10/27/british-families-only-attend-church-at-christmas-new-figures-sug/ | archive-date=December 27, 2017 | url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Decorations ===
{{Main|Christmas decoration}}
{{further|Hanging of the greens}}
[[File:Carnegie Presepio.JPG|thumb|[[Neapolitan nativity scene|Neapolitan ''presepio'']] at the [[Carnegie Museum of Art]] in Pittsburgh]]

[[Nativity scene]]s are known from 10th-century Rome. They were popularised by Saint [[Francis of Assisi]] from 1223, quickly spreading across Europe.<ref name=Collins47>Collins, Ace, ''Stories Behind the Great Traditions of Christmas'', Zondervan, (2003), {{ISBN|0-310-24880-9}} p.47.</ref> Different types of decorations developed across the Christian world, dependent on local tradition and available resources, and can vary from simple representations of the crib to far more elaborate sets – renowned manger scene traditions include the colourful {{lang|pl|[[Kraków szopka]]}} in Poland,<ref>[https://archive.org/details/nativitiesofworl0000webe/page/159 Internet Archive] Susan Topp Weber, ''Nativities of the World'', Gibbs Smith, 2013</ref> which imitate [[Kraków]]'s historical buildings as settings, the elaborate Italian {{lang|it|presepi}} ({{ill|lt=Neapolitan|Presepe napoletano|it|vertical-align=sup}}, {{ill|lt=Genoese|Presepe genovese|it|vertical-align=sup}} and {{ill|lt=Bolognese|Presepe bolognese|it|vertical-align=sup}}),<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nuok.it/bulagna/alla-scoperta-dei-cinque-presepi-piu-belli-di-bologna/ |title=Alla scoperta dei cinque presepi più belli di Bologna &#124; Nuok |publisher=Nuok.it |date=January 24, 2013 |access-date=December 25, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131227041612/http://www.nuok.it/bulagna/alla-scoperta-dei-cinque-presepi-piu-belli-di-bologna/ |archive-date=December 27, 2013 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://digilander.libero.it/paolore2/liguria/presepi.html |title=Presepi in Liguria: provincia di Genova, Tigullio -sito di Paolino |publisher=Digilander.libero.it |access-date=December 25, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131227022942/http://digilander.libero.it/paolore2/liguria/presepi.html |archive-date=December 27, 2013 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.carnegiemnh.org/visit/default.aspx?id=21487 |title=Holidays at the Museums: Carnegie Museum of Natural History |publisher=Carnegiemnh.org |date=November 26, 2013 |access-date=December 25, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131227022432/http://www.carnegiemnh.org/visit/default.aspx?id=21487 |archive-date=December 27, 2013 }}</ref><ref>Bershad, David; Carolina Mangone, [https://books.google.com/books?id=llTiET5oCR4C&dq=neapolitan+nativity+scene&pg=PA112 ''The Christian Travelers Guide to Italy''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221225144711/https://books.google.com/books?id=llTiET5oCR4C&pg=PA112&dq=neapolitan+nativity+scene |date=December 25, 2022 }}, Zondervan, 2001.</ref> or the [[Provence|Provençal]] crèches in [[Le Midi|southern]] France, using hand-painted terracotta figurines called {{lang|fr|[[santon (figurine)|santons]]}}.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.simplytreasures.com/t-about-nativity.aspx |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120914075253/http://www.simplytreasures.com/t-about-nativity.aspx |archive-date=September 14, 2012 |title=The Provençal Nativity Scene |publisher=Simplytreasures.com |access-date=December 25, 2013 }}</ref> In certain parts of the world, notably [[Sicily]], living nativity scenes following the tradition of Saint Francis are a popular alternative to static crèches.<ref>Seaburg, Carl, [https://books.google.com/books?id=dLB-UkN5UHYC&dq=living+nativity+scenes+sicily&pg=PT30 ''Celebrating Christmas: An Anthology''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221225144711/https://books.google.com/books?id=dLB-UkN5UHYC&pg=PT30&dq=living+nativity+scenes+sicily |date=December 25, 2022 }}, iUniverse, 2003.</ref><ref>Bowler, Gerry, [https://books.google.com/books?id=WGaVZ6fEjjsC&dq=living+nativity+scenes+sicily&pg=PT478 ''The World Encyclopedia of Christmas''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221225144711/https://books.google.com/books?id=WGaVZ6fEjjsC&pg=PT478&dq=living+nativity+scenes+sicily |date=December 25, 2022 }}, Random House LLC, 2012.</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=Carol King |url=http://www.italymagazine.com/featured-story/christmas-living-nativity-scene-sicily |title=A Christmas Living Nativity Scene in Sicily |work=Italy Magazine |date=December 24, 2012 |access-date=December 25, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131226023729/http://www.italymagazine.com/featured-story/christmas-living-nativity-scene-sicily |archive-date=December 26, 2013 }}</ref> The first commercially produced decorations appeared in Germany in the 1860s, inspired by paper chains made by children.<ref name=Collins83>Collins p. 83.</ref> In countries where a representation of the [[Nativity scene]] is very popular, people are encouraged to compete and create the most original or realistic ones. Within some families, the pieces used to make the representation are considered a valuable family [[heirloom]].<ref>{{cite book |title=These Strange German Ways |publisher=Edelweiss Publishing Company |date=1989 |page=122}}</ref>

The traditional colors of Christmas decorations are red, green, and gold.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Nowak|first=Claire|date=December 23, 2019|title=The Real Reason Why Christmas Colors Are Green and Red|url=https://www.rd.com/article/christmas-colors-green-red/|access-date=December 18, 2020|website=Reader's Digest|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Norris|first=Rebecca|date=October 29, 2019|title=Here's the History Behind Why Red and Green Are the Traditional Christmas Colors|url=https://www.countryliving.com/entertaining/a29622860/christmas-colors-red-green/|access-date=December 18, 2020|website=Country Living|language=en-US}}</ref> Red symbolizes the blood of Jesus, which was shed in his [[crucifixion]]; green symbolizes eternal life, and in particular the evergreen tree, which does not lose its leaves in the winter; and gold is the first color associated with Christmas, as one of the three gifts of the [[Magi]], symbolizing royalty.<ref name="Ace Collins">{{cite book
 |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=mo8vgZoROl8C&q=christmas+colors&pg=PT71
 |title=Stories Behind the Great Traditions of Christmas
 |author=Collins, Ace
 |publisher=[[Zondervan]]|access-date=December 2, 2010
|isbn = 978-0-310-87388-4
 |date = April 1, 2010}}</ref>

[[File:1962 Entrance Hall (Official White House) Christmas tree - Jack and Jacqueline Kennedy.jpg|thumb|The official White House Christmas tree for 1962, displayed in the Entrance Hall and presented by [[John F. Kennedy]] and his wife [[Jacqueline Kennedy|Jackie]]]]

The [[Christmas tree]] was first used by German Lutherans in the 16th century, with records indicating that a Christmas tree was placed in the Cathedral of Strassburg in 1539, under the leadership of the [[Protestant Reformers|Protestant Reformer]], [[Martin Bucer]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Senn |first=Frank C. |date=2012 |title=Introduction to Christian Liturgy |publisher=Fortress Press |isbn=978-1-4514-2433-1 |page=118}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |year=1936 |title=The Christmas Tree |journal=Lutheran Spokesman |volume=29–32}}</ref> In the United States, these "German Lutherans brought the decorated Christmas tree with them; the [[Moravian Church|Moravians]] put lighted candles on those trees".<ref name="Kelly2010">{{cite book |last=Kelly |first=Joseph F. |date=2010 |title=The Feast of Christmas |publisher=Liturgical Press |isbn=978-0-8146-3932-0 |page=94}}</ref><ref name="Blainey2013">{{cite book |last=Blainey |first=Geoffrey |title=A Short History of Christianity |date=October 24, 2013 |publisher=[[Rowman & Littlefield Publishers]] |isbn=978-1-4422-2590-9 |page=418}}</ref> When [[Christmas decorations|decorating]] the Christmas tree, many individuals place a star at the top of the tree symbolizing the [[Star of Bethlehem]], a fact recorded by ''The School Journal'' in 1897.<ref name="Mandryk2005">{{cite book |last=Mandryk |first=DeeAnn |date=October 25, 2005 |title=Canadian Christmas Traditions |publisher=James Lorimer & Company |isbn=978-1-55439-098-4 |page=[https://archive.org/details/canadianchristma0000mand/page/67 67]|url=https://archive.org/details/canadianchristma0000mand/page/67 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|title= Christmas in Other Lands | last= Wells | first= Dorothy | year=1897|journal=The School Journal|volume=55|pages=697–8|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=ePc9AQAAMAAJ&pg=PA697}}</ref> Professor David Albert Jones of [[Oxford University]] writes that in the 19th century, it became popular for people to also use an angel to top the Christmas tree in order to symbolize the angels mentioned in the accounts of the [[Nativity of Jesus]].<ref name="Jones2011">{{cite book |last=Jones |first=David Albert |date=October 27, 2011 |title=Angels |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |isbn=978-0-19-161491-0 |page=24}}</ref> Additionally, in the context of a Christian celebration of Christmas, the Christmas tree, being evergreen in colour, is [[Christian symbol|symbolic]] of Christ, who offers eternal life; the candles or lights on the tree represent the [[Light of the World]]—Jesus—born in Bethlehem.<ref name="Becker2000">{{cite book |last1=Becker |first1=Udo |title=The Continuum Encyclopedia of Symbols |date=January 1, 2000 |publisher=[[A & C Black]] |isbn=978-0-8264-1221-8 |page=60 |language=English}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Crump |first1=William D. |title=The Christmas Encyclopedia |date=2006 |publisher=McFarland & Company |isbn=978-0-7864-2293-7 |page=67 |language=English }}</ref> Christian services for family use and public worship have been published for the blessing of a Christmas tree, after it has been erected.<ref name="Socias2020">{{cite book |last1=Socias |first1=James |title=Handbook of Prayers |date=June 24, 2020 |publisher=Midwest Theological Forum |isbn=978-1-936045-54-9 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Kitch |first=Anne E. |date=2004 |title=The Anglican Family Prayer Book |publisher=Morehouse Publishing |page=125}}</ref> The Christmas tree is considered by some as [[Christianisation]] of [[pagan]] tradition and ritual surrounding the [[Winter Solstice]], which included the use of [[evergreen]] boughs, and an adaptation of pagan [[tree worship]];<ref name=Shaman /> according to eighth-century biographer [[Æddi Stephanus]], [[Saint Boniface]] (634–709), who was a missionary in Germany, took an ax to an oak tree dedicated to [[Thor]] and pointed out a [[fir tree]], which he stated was a more fitting object of reverence because it pointed to [[Heaven (Christianity)|heaven]] and it had a triangular shape, which he said was symbolic of the [[Trinity]].<ref>{{cite book|author=Fritz Allhoff, Scott C. Lowe|title=Christmas|publisher=[[John Wiley & Sons]]|year=2010}}</ref> The English language phrase "Christmas tree" is first recorded in 1835<ref name=Harper>Harper, Douglas, [http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=Christ Christ] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060509183911/http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=Christ |date=May 9, 2006 }}, ''Online Etymology Dictionary'', 2001.</ref> and represents an importation from the German language.<ref name=Shaman>van Renterghem, Tony. ''When Santa was a shaman.'' St. Paul: [[Llewellyn Worldwide|Llewellyn Publications]], 1995. {{ISBN|1-56718-765-X}}.</ref><ref name="Christmas Archives">{{cite web|url=http://www.christmasarchives.com/trees.html |title=The Chronological History of the Christmas Tree |publisher=The Christmas Archives |access-date=December 18, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071221113003/http://www.christmasarchives.com/trees.html |archive-date=December 21, 2007 }}</ref><ref name="Fashion Era- Christmas">{{cite web |url = http://www.fashion-era.com/Christmas/christmas_customs_tree_history.htm |title = Christmas Tradition – The Christmas Tree Custom |publisher = Fashion Era |access-date = December 18, 2007 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071218110944/http://www.fashion-era.com/Christmas/christmas_customs_tree_history.htm |archive-date = December 18, 2007 |url-status = live }}</ref>

[[File:Wichern Adventskranz originated from Germany.jpg|thumb|left|upright|An advent wreath as designed by [[Johann Hinrich Wichern]]. On Christmas, the Christ Candle in the center of the wreath is traditionally lit in many [[church service]]s.]]

Since the 16th century, the [[poinsettia]], a native plant from Mexico, has been associated with Christmas carrying the Christian symbolism of the [[Star of Bethlehem]]; in that country it is known in Spanish as the ''Flower of the Holy Night''.<ref name="Hewitson2013">{{cite book |last1=Hewitson |first1=Carolyn |title=Festivals |date=2013 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=9781135057060 |quote=It is said to resemble the star of Bethlehem. The Mexicans call it the flower of the Holy Night, but usually it is called poinsettia after the man who introduced it to America, Dr Joel Poinsett.}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title = The Legends and Traditions of Holiday Plants|url = http://www.ipm.iastate.edu/ipm/hortnews/1995/12-8-1995/trad.html|website = www.ipm.iastate.edu|access-date = February 17, 2016|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160122071614/http://www.ipm.iastate.edu/ipm/hortnews/1995/12-8-1995/trad.html|archive-date = January 22, 2016|url-status = live}}</ref> Other popular holiday plants include holly, [[mistletoe]], red [[amaryllis]], and [[Christmas cactus]]. Along with a Christmas tree, the interior of a home may be decorated with these plants, along with [[Garland (decoration)|garlands]] and [[evergreen]] foliage. The display of [[Christmas village]]s has also become a tradition in many homes this season. The outside of houses may be decorated with lights and sometimes with illuminated [[Sled|sleighs]], [[snowmen]], and other Christmas figures. Mistletoe features prominently in European myth and folklore (for example, the legend of [[Baldr]]); it is an evergreen parasitic plant that grows on trees, especially apples and poplar, and turns golden when it is dried. It is customary to hang a sprig of mistletoe in the house at Christmas, and anyone standing underneath it may be kissed. 
[[File:Neve a Verona 17.01.2006 033.jpg|thumb|[[Christmas lights]] in [[Verona]], Italy]]

Other traditional decorations include [[Bell (instrument)|bells]], [[candles]], [[candy canes]], [[Christmas stocking|stockings]], [[wreath]]s, and [[angels]]. The wreaths and candles in each window are a more traditional Christmas display. The concentric assortment of leaves, usually from an [[evergreen]], make up Christmas wreaths. Candles in each window are meant to demonstrate that Christians believe that Jesus Christ is the ultimate light of the world.<ref>{{cite web
 |url=http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/activities/view.cfm?id=1173
 |title=Liturgical Year : Symbolic Lights and Fires of Christmas (Activity)
 |publisher=Catholic Culture
 |access-date=December 10, 2011
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120113131615/http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/activities/view.cfm?id=1173
 |archive-date=January 13, 2012
 |url-status=live
 }}</ref>

[[Christmas lights]] and banners may be hung along streets, music played by speakers, and Christmas trees placed in prominent places.<ref>Murray, Brian. [http://www.historymatters.appstate.edu/documents/christmaslights.pdf "Christmas lights and community building in America,"] ''History Matters'', Spring 2006. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100629182754/http://www.historymatters.appstate.edu/documents/christmaslights.pdf |date=June 29, 2010 }}</ref> It is common in many parts of the world for town squares and consumer shopping areas to sponsor and display decorations. Rolls of brightly colored paper with secular or religious Christmas motifs are manufactured to wrap gifts. In some countries, Christmas decorations are traditionally taken down on [[Twelfth Night (holiday)|Twelfth Night]].

=== Nativity play ===
{{Main|Nativity play}}
[[File:Giotto - Legend of St Francis - -13- - Institution of the Crib at Greccio.jpg|thumb|''St. Francis at [[Greccio]]'' by [[Giotto]], 1295]]
The tradition of the [[Nativity scene]] comes from Italy. One of the earliest representation in art of the nativity was found in the [[early Christian]] [[Roman catacomb]] of [[Catacombs of San Valentino|Saint Valentine]].<ref name="Osborne2020">{{cite book |last1=Osborne |first1=John |title=Rome in the Eighth Century: A History in Art |date=31 May 2020 |publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]] |isbn=978-1-108-87372-7 |page=31 |language=English}}</ref> It dates to about AD 380.<ref name="Tuleja1999">{{cite book |last1=Tuleja |first1=Thaddeus F. |title=Curious Customs: The Stories Behind More Than 300 Popular American Rituals |date=1999 |publisher=BBS Publishing Corporation |isbn=978-1-57866-070-4 |language=English |quote=Francis Weiser (1952) says that the first known depiction of the nativity scene, found in the catacombs of Rome, dates from AD 380.}}</ref>  Another, of similar date, is beneath the pulpit in [[Basilica of Sant'Ambrogio|Sant'Ambrogio, Milan]].

For the Christian celebration of Christmas, the viewing of the [[Nativity play]] is one of the oldest Christmastime traditions, with the first reenactment of the [[Nativity of Jesus]] taking place in A.D. 1223 in the Italian town of [[Greccio]].<ref name="Collins2010">{{cite book |last1=Collins |first1=Ace |title=Stories Behind the Great Traditions of Christmas |date=2010 |publisher=Zondervan |isbn=9780310873884 |pages=139–141}}</ref> In that year, [[Francis of Assisi]] assembled a Nativity scene outside of his church in Italy and children sang Christmas carols celebrating the birth of Jesus.<ref name="Collins2010"/>

Each year, this grew larger, and people travelled from afar to see Francis' depiction of the Nativity of Jesus that came to feature drama and music.<ref name="Collins2010"/> Nativity plays eventually spread throughout all of Europe, where they remained popular. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day church services often came to feature Nativity plays, as did schools and theatres.<ref name="Collins2010"/> In France, Germany, Mexico, and Spain, Nativity plays are often reenacted outdoors in the streets.<ref name="Collins2010"/>

=== Music and carols ===

{{Main|Christmas music}}
[[File:Chant'tie d'Cantiques dé Noué Dézembre 2009 Jèrri a.jpg|thumb|Christmas carolers in [[Jersey]]]]

The earliest extant specifically Christmas hymns appear in fourth-century [[Rome]]. Latin hymns such as {{lang|la|"[[Veni redemptor gentium]]"}}, written by [[Ambrose]], Archbishop of Milan, were austere statements of the theological doctrine of the Incarnation in opposition to [[Arianism]]. {{lang|la|"[[Corde natus ex Parentis]]"}} ("Of the Father's love begotten") by the Spanish poet [[Prudentius]] ({{abbr|died|d.}} 413) is still sung in some churches today.<ref>Miles, Clement, ''Christmas customs and traditions'', Courier Dover Publications, 1976, {{ISBN|0-486-23354-5}}, p. 32.</ref> In the 9th and 10th centuries, the Christmas "Sequence" or "Prose" was introduced in North European monasteries, developing under [[Bernard of Clairvaux]] into a sequence of rhymed [[stanza]]s. In the 12th century the Parisian monk [[Adam of St. Victor]] began to derive music from popular songs, introducing something closer to the traditional [[Christmas carol]]. Christmas carols in English appear in a 1426 work of [[John Audelay|John Awdlay]] who lists twenty five "caroles of Cristemas", probably sung by groups of '[[wassailing|wassailers]]', who went from house to house.<ref>Miles, Clement, ''Christmas customs and traditions'', Courier Dover Publications, 1976, pp. 47–48</ref>

[[File:Steaua, Bucharest, 1842 crop.jpg|thumb|left|Child singers in [[Bucharest]], 1841]]

The songs now known specifically as carols were originally communal folk songs sung during celebrations such as "harvest tide" as well as Christmas. It was only later that carols began to be sung in church. Traditionally, carols have often been based on [[medieval]] chord patterns, and it is this that gives them their uniquely characteristic musical sound. Some carols like "[[Personent hodie]]", "[[Good King Wenceslas]]", and {{lang|la|"[[In dulci jubilo]]"}} can be traced directly back to the [[Middle Ages]]. They are among the oldest musical compositions still regularly sung. {{lang|la|"[[Adeste Fideles]]"}} (O Come all ye faithful) appeared in its current form in the mid-18th century.

The singing of carols increased in popularity after the [[Protestant Reformation]] in the [[Lutheran]] areas of Europe, as the Reformer [[Martin Luther]] wrote carols and encouraged their use in worship, in addition to spearheading the practice of caroling outside the [[Mass (liturgy)#Lutheranism|Mass]].<ref name="Clancy2008">{{cite book |last1=Clancy |first1=Ronald M. |title=Sacred Christmas Music: The Stories Behind the Most Beloved Songs of Devotion |date=2008 |publisher=Sterling Publishing Company|isbn=978-1-4027-5811-9 |page=40 |language=en}}</ref> The 18th-century English reformer [[Charles Wesley]], a founder of [[Methodism]], understood the importance of music to Christian worship. In addition to setting many psalms to melodies, he wrote texts for at least three Christmas carols. The best known was originally entitled "Hark! How All the Welkin Rings", later renamed "[[Hark! The Herald Angels Sing]]".<ref>{{cite book
 |last=Dudley-Smith
 |first=Timothy
 |author-link=Timothy Dudley-Smith
 |title=A Flame of Love
 |publisher=Triangle/SPCK
 |location=London
 |year=1987
 |isbn=978-0-281-04300-2
}}</ref>

{{Listen
|filename=U.S. Army Band - Hark! The Herald Angels Sing.ogg
|title=Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
|description=Performed by the U.S. Army Band Chorus
}}

Christmas seasonal songs of a secular nature emerged in the late 18th century. The Welsh melody for "[[Deck the Halls]]" dates from 1794, with the lyrics added by Scottish musician [[Thomas Oliphant (lyricist)|Thomas Oliphant]] in 1862, and the American "[[Jingle Bells]]" was copyrighted in 1857. Other popular carols include "[[The First Noel]]", "[[God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen]]", "[[The Holly and the Ivy]]", "[[I Saw Three Ships]]", "[[In the Bleak Midwinter]]", "[[Joy to the World]]", "[[Once in Royal David's City]]" and "[[While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks]]".<ref>{{cite book |first=John |last=Thomas |author2=Talhaiarn |author3=Thomas Oliphant  |title=Welsh melodies: with Welsh and English poetry
|location=London |publisher=Addison, Hollier and Lucas |year=1862 |oclc=63015609 |pages=139}}</ref> In the 19th and 20th centuries, African American spirituals and songs about Christmas, based in their tradition of spirituals, became more widely known. An increasing number of seasonal holiday songs were commercially produced in the 20th century, including jazz and blues variations. In addition, there was a revival of interest in early music, from groups singing folk music, such as The Revels, to performers of early medieval and classical music.

One of the most ubiquitous festive songs is "[[We Wish You a Merry Christmas]]", which originates from the [[West Country]] of England in the 1930s.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Byrne|first=Eugene|date=December 24, 2019|title=Arguably most famous Christmas song was written by a Bristolian|url=https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/wish-you-merry-christmas-written-3678149|access-date=November 6, 2020|website=BristolLive|language=en}}</ref> Radio has covered Christmas music from variety shows from the 1940s and 1950s, as well as modern-day stations that exclusively play Christmas music from late November through December 25.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|last=Smolko|first=Joanna|date=February 4, 2012|title=Christmas music|url=https://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/grovemusic|journal=[[Grove Music Online]]|publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]|doi=10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.A2227990}}</ref> Hollywood movies have featured new Christmas music, such as "[[White Christmas (song)|White Christmas]]" in ''[[Holiday Inn (film)|Holiday Inn]]'' and ''[[Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (TV special)|Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer]]''.<ref name=":0" /> Traditional carols have also been included in Hollywood films, such as "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" in ''[[It's a Wonderful Life]]'' (1946), and "[[Silent Night]]" in ''[[A Christmas Story]]''.<ref name=":0" />

=== Traditional cuisine ===
{{See also|Christmas food}}
[[File:Christmas Dinner Setting.jpg|thumb|right|[[Christmas dinner]] setting]]
[[File:Panettone - Nicolettone 2017 - IMG 7085 (31752542285).jpg|thumb|[[Panettone]]]]

A special [[Christmas dinner|Christmas family meal]] is traditionally an important part of the holiday's celebration, and the food 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 pie]]s, [[fruit cake]] and [[Yule log (cake)|Yule log cake]].<ref>Broomfield, Andrea (2007), [https://books.google.com/books?id=fJ_JDp9OgJEC&pg=PA149&dq=christmas+pudding+england ''Food and Cooking in Victorian England: A History''], Greenwood Publishing Group, 2007, pp. 149–150.</ref><ref>Muir, Frank (1977), ''Christmas customs & traditions'', Taplinger Pub. Co., 1977, p. 58.</ref>

In Poland and Scandinavia, fish is often used for the traditional main course, but richer meat such as lamb is increasingly served. In Sweden, it is common with a special variety of [[smörgåsbord]], where ham, meatballs, and herring play a prominent role. In Germany, France, and Austria, goose and pork are favored. Beef, ham, and chicken in various recipes are popular worldwide. The [[Maltese people|Maltese]] traditionally serve ''[[Imbuljuta tal-Qastan]]'',<ref>{{cite web|url=http://schoolnet.gov.mt/HelloEurope/activities/recepies/imbuljuta.html |title=Imbuljuta |publisher=Schoolnet.gov.mt |access-date=February 3, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120122070634/http://schoolnet.gov.mt/HelloEurope/activities/recepies/imbuljuta.html |archive-date=January 22, 2012 }}</ref> a chocolate and chestnuts beverage, after [[Midnight Mass]] and throughout the Christmas season. Slovenes prepare the traditional Christmas bread [[potica]], ''[[bûche de Noël]]'' in France, ''[[panettone]]'' in Italy, and elaborate tarts and cakes. ''Panettone'', an [[Italian cuisine|Italian]] type of [[List of sweet breads|sweet bread]] and [[fruitcake]], originally from [[Milan]], Italy, usually prepared and enjoyed for Christmas and [[New Year]] in [[Western Europe|Western]], [[Southern Europe|Southern]], and [[Southeast Europe|Southeastern Europe]], as well as in [[South America]], [[Eritrea]],<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.madote.com/2016/01/christmas-in-eritrea.html | title=Christmas in Eritrea}}</ref> Australia and North America.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.ansa.it/canale_terraegusto/notizie/prodotti_tipici/2017/12/04/negli-usa-tutti-pazzi-per-il-panettone-e-boom-vendite_b653dfb9-ec37-43c9-99bd-345a4abf1af0.html |title= Negli Usa tutti pazzi per il panettone, è boom vendite |language=it |website=Ansa|date= 4 December 2017 }}</ref>

The eating of sweets and chocolates has become popular worldwide, and sweeter Christmas delicacies include the German ''[[stollen]]'', [[marzipan]] cake or candy, and Jamaican rum fruit cake. As one of the few fruits traditionally available to northern countries in winter, oranges have been long associated with special Christmas foods. [[Eggnog]] is a [[added sugar|sweetened]] [[dairy]]-based [[sweetened beverage|beverage]] traditionally made with milk, cream, sugar, and whipped eggs (which gives it a frothy texture). [[Distilled beverage|Spirits]] such as brandy, rum, or bourbon are often added. The finished serving is often garnished with a sprinkling of ground cinnamon or nutmeg.

=== Cards ===
{{Main|Christmas card}}
[[File:Christmas postcard 1907.jpg|alt=|thumb|upright=0.8|A 1907 Christmas card with [[Santa Claus|Santa]] and some of his reindeer]]
Christmas cards are illustrated messages of greeting exchanged between friends and family members during the weeks preceding Christmas Day. The traditional greeting reads "wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year", much like that of the first commercial [[Christmas card#History|Christmas card]], produced by [[Henry Cole (inventor)|Sir Henry Cole]] in London in 1843.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/1679110.stm "Christmas card sold for record price"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060205200933/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/1679110.stm |date=February 5, 2006 }}, BBC News. Retrieved October 28, 2011.</ref> The custom of sending them has become popular among a wide cross-section of people with the emergence of the modern trend towards exchanging [[E-card]]s.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Schaverien|first=Anna|date=June 19, 2021|title=E-Cards Are Back, Thanks to the Pandemic|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/19/business/e-cards-pandemic.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20211228/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/19/business/e-cards-pandemic.html |archive-date=December 28, 2021 |url-access=limited|access-date=November 13, 2021|issn=0362-4331}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=It's time to mail your holiday cards – if you can find any|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/business/consumer/time-mail-holiday-cards-can-find-rcna4262|access-date=November 13, 2021|website=NBC News|date=November 2, 2021 |language=en}}</ref>

Christmas cards are purchased in considerable quantities and feature artwork, commercially designed and relevant to the season. The content of the design might relate directly to the [[Nativity of Jesus|Christmas narrative]], with [[Nativity of Jesus in art|depictions of the Nativity of Jesus]], or [[Christian symbols]] such as the [[Star of Bethlehem]], or a white [[dove]], which can represent both the [[Holy Spirit in Christianity|Holy Spirit]] and [[Peace]] on Earth. Other Christmas cards are more secular and can depict [[Christmas tradition]]s, figures such as Santa Claus, objects directly associated with Christmas such as candles, holly, and baubles, or a variety of images associated with the season, such as Christmastide activities, snow scenes, and the wildlife of the northern winter.<ref>{{Cite web|date=November 28, 2012|title=History of Christmas – Part 2|url=https://www.americanstationery.com/blog/history-of-christmas-part-2/|access-date=December 22, 2021|website=The Note Pad {{!}} Stationery & Party Etiquette Blog by American Stationery|language=en-US}}</ref>

=== Commemorative stamps ===
{{Main|Christmas stamp}}

A number of nations have issued [[commemorative stamp]]s at Christmastide.<ref>{{cite news |title=In pictures: Christmas stamps |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_pictures/6121996.stm |access-date=August 29, 2023 |agency=BBC}}</ref> Postal customers will often use these stamps to mail [[Christmas card]]s, and they are popular with [[philately|philatelists]].<ref>{{cite news |title=The First Christmas Stamps |url=https://stamps.org/news/c/start-collecting/cat/collecting-resources/post/the-first-christmas-stamps |access-date=August 29, 2023 |agency=American Philatelic Society}}</ref> These stamps are regular postage stamps, unlike [[Christmas seals]], and are valid for postage year-round. They usually go on sale sometime between early October and early December and are printed in considerable quantities.

===Christmas seals===
{{Main|Christmas seals}}
Christmas seals were first issued to raise funding to fight and bring awareness to [[tuberculosis]]. The first Christmas seal was issued in [[Denmark]] in 1904, and since then other countries have issued their own Christmas seals.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Loytved|first=G.|title=[Christmas seals]|journal=Pneumologie (Stuttgart, Germany)|year=2006|volume=60|issue=11|pages=701–710|doi=10.1055/s-2006-944325|issn=0934-8387|pmid=17109268|doi-access=free}}</ref>

=== Gift giving ===
{{Main|Christmas gift}}
[[File:Gifts xmas.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Christmas gifts under a Christmas tree]]

The exchanging of gifts is one of the core aspects of the modern Christmas celebration, making it the most profitable time of year for retailers and businesses throughout the world. On Christmas, people exchange gifts based on the Christian tradition associated with [[Saint Nicholas]],<ref>{{cite book|author=Collins, Ace |title=Stories Behind the Great Traditions of Christmas|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mo8vgZoROl8C&q=giving+gifts+wise+men&pg=PT88 |date=April 20, 2010|access-date=April 10, 2012|publisher=Zondervan|page=17|isbn=978-0-310-87388-4}}</ref> and the gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh which were given to the baby Jesus by the [[Biblical Magi|Magi]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Trexler|first=Richard|title=The Journey of the Magi: Meanings in History of a Christian Story|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YLmhCHtydKMC&pg=PA17|access-date=April 10, 2012|date=May 23, 1997|publisher=[[Princeton University Press]]|page=17|isbn=978-0-691-01126-4|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151231223014/https://books.google.com/books?id=YLmhCHtydKMC&pg=PA17|archive-date=December 31, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|author=Collins, Ace|title=Stories Behind the Great Traditions of Christmas|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mo8vgZoROl8C&q=giving+gifts+wise+men&pg=PT88 |date=April 20, 2010|access-date=April 10, 2012|publisher=Zondervan|page=17|isbn=978-0-310-87388-4}}</ref> The practice of gift giving in the [[Ancient Rome|Roman]] celebration of [[Saturnalia]] may have influenced Christian customs, but on the other hand the Christian "core dogma of the [[Incarnation (Christianity)|Incarnation]], however, solidly established the giving and receiving of gifts as the structural principle of that recurrent yet unique event", because it was the Biblical Magi, "together with all their fellow men, who received the gift of God through man's renewed participation in the divine life".<ref name="Berking1999">{{cite book|last=Berking|first=Helmuth|title=Sociology of Giving|date=March 30, 1999|publisher=SAGE Publications|isbn=978-0-85702-613-2|page=14}}<!--|access-date=December 24, 2015--></ref> However, Thomas J. Talley holds that the Roman Emperor [[Aurelian]] placed the alternate festival on December 25 in order to compete with the growing rate of the Christian Church, which had already been celebrating Christmas on that date first.<ref name="Talley1991">{{cite book|last=Talley|first=Thomas J.|title=The Origins of the Liturgical Year|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=T_O8F_iGcqkC|access-date=December 27, 2016|year=1991|publisher=Liturgical Press|isbn=978-0-8146-6075-1|pages=88–91}}</ref>

==== Gift-bearing figures ====
{{Main|List of Christmas and winter gift-bringers by country}}

A number of figures are associated with Christmas and the seasonal giving of gifts. Among these are [[Father Christmas]], also known as [[Santa Claus]] (derived from the [[Dutch language|Dutch]] for Saint Nicholas), Père Noël, and the [[Weihnachtsmann]]; [[Saint Nicholas]] or [[Sinterklaas]]; the [[Christkind]]; Kris Kringle; [[Joulupukki]]; [[Nisse (folklore)|tomte/nisse]]; Babbo Natale; [[Basil of Caesarea|Saint Basil]]; and [[Ded Moroz]]. The Scandinavian tomte (also called nisse) is sometimes depicted as a [[gnome]] instead of Santa Claus.

[[File:Sinterklaas 2007.jpg|thumb|upright=0.85|[[Saint Nicholas]], known as [[Sinterklaas]] in the Netherlands, is considered by many to be the original [[Santa Claus]].<ref name="SewardLal2006">{{cite book|last1=Seward|first1=Pat|last2=Lal|first2=Sunandini Arora|title=Netherlands|year=2006|publisher=Marshall Cavendish|isbn=978-0-7614-2052-1|page=[https://archive.org/details/netherlands0000sewa/page/116 116]|url=https://archive.org/details/netherlands0000sewa/page/116}}</ref>]]

The best known of these figures today is the red-dressed Santa Claus, of diverse origins. The name 'Santa Claus' can be traced back to the Dutch {{lang|nl|Sinterklaas}} ('Saint Nicholas'). Nicholas was a 4th-century [[Greeks in Turkey#History|Greek]] bishop of [[Myra]], a city in the [[Roman province]] of [[Lycia]], whose ruins are {{convert|3|km}} from modern [[Demre]] in southwest Turkey.<ref>{{cite book |author= Domenico, Roy Palmer |title= The regions of Italy: a reference guide to history and culture |publisher= Greenwood Publishing Group |year= 2002 |page=21 |isbn= 978-0-313-30733-1}}</ref><ref name="Collins, Ace 2009 121">{{cite book |author= Collins, Ace |title= Stories Behind Men of Faith |publisher= Zondervan |year= 2009 |url= https://archive.org/details/storiesbehindmen0000coll |url-access= registration |page= [https://archive.org/details/storiesbehindmen0000coll/page/121 121] |isbn= 978-0-310-56456-0|access-date= June 20, 2015 }}</ref> Among other saintly attributes, he was noted for the care of children, generosity, and the giving of gifts. His feast day, December 6, came to be celebrated in many countries with the giving of gifts.<ref name=ADS/>

Saint Nicholas traditionally appeared in bishop's attire, accompanied by helpers, inquiring about the behaviour of children during the past year before deciding whether they deserved a gift or not. By the 13th century, Saint Nicholas was well known in the Netherlands, and the practice of gift-giving in his name spread to other parts of central and southern Europe. At the [[Reformation]] in 16th- and 17th-century Europe, many Protestants changed the gift bringer to the Christ Child or {{lang|de|Christkindl}}, corrupted in English to 'Kris Kringle', and the date of giving gifts changed from December 6 to Christmas Eve.<ref name="ADS" />

The modern popular image of Santa Claus, however, was created in the United States, and in particular in New York. The transformation was accomplished with the aid of notable contributors including [[Washington Irving]] and the [[German Americans|German-American]] cartoonist [[Thomas Nast]] (1840–1902). Following the [[American Revolutionary War]], some of the inhabitants of New York City sought out symbols of the city's non-English past. New York had originally been established as the Dutch colonial town of [[New Amsterdam]] and the Dutch Sinterklaas tradition was reinvented as Saint Nicholas.<ref>{{cite web
 |author=Jona Lendering
 |url=https://www.livius.org/ne-nn/nicholas/nicholas_of_myra3.html#New
 |title=Saint Nicholas, Sinterklaas, Santa Claus
 |publisher=Livius.org
 |date=November 20, 2008
|access-date=February 24, 2011
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110513114942/https://www.livius.org/ne-nn/nicholas/nicholas_of_myra3.html#New
 |archive-date=May 13, 2011
|url-status=live
 }}</ref>

Current tradition in several [[Latin America]]n countries (such as Venezuela and Colombia) holds that while Santa makes the toys, he then gives them to the Baby Jesus, who is the one who actually delivers them to the children's homes, a reconciliation between traditional [[Religion|religious beliefs]] and the [[iconography]] of Santa Claus imported from the United States.

[[File:Thronendes Jesuskind BNM.jpg|thumb|upright=0.85|[[Christkind]], [[Munich]], Germany]]
In Italy's [[South Tyrol]], Austria, the Czech Republic, Southern Germany, Hungary, Liechtenstein, Slovakia, and Switzerland, the [[Christkind]] ([[Ježíšek]] in Czech, Jézuska in Hungarian and Ježiško in Slovak) brings the presents. Greek children get their presents from [[Saint Basil]] on New Year's Eve, the eve of that saint's liturgical feast.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.skiathosbooks.com/saints_basil.htm |title=St. Basil (330–379) |publisher=Skiathosbooks.com |access-date=February 3, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120112035451/http://www.skiathosbooks.com/saints_basil.htm |archive-date=January 12, 2012 }}</ref> The German St. Nikolaus is not identical with the Weihnachtsmann (who is the German version of Santa Claus / Father Christmas). St. Nikolaus wears a bishop's dress and still brings small gifts (usually candies, nuts, and fruits) on December 6 and is accompanied by [[Knecht Ruprecht]]. Although many parents around the world routinely teach their children about Santa Claus and other gift bringers, some have come to reject this practice, considering it [[Paternalistic deception|deceptive]].<ref>Matera, Mariane. [http://www.citybeat.com/archives/1996/issue304/cover1.html "Santa: The First Great Lie"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070914195318/http://citybeat.com/archives/1996/issue304/cover1.html |date=September 14, 2007 }}, ''Citybeat'', Issue 304.</ref>

Multiple gift-giver figures exist in Poland, varying between regions and individual families. St Nicholas ({{lang|pl|Święty Mikołaj}}) dominates Central and North-East areas, the Starman ({{lang|pl|Gwiazdor}}) is most common in [[Greater Poland]], Baby Jesus ({{lang|pl|Dzieciątko}}) is unique to [[Upper Silesia]], with the Little Star ({{lang|pl|Gwiazdka}}) and the Little Angel ({{lang|pl|Aniołek}}) being common in the South and the South-East. Grandfather Frost ({{lang|pl|Dziadek Mróz}}) is less commonly accepted in some areas of Eastern Poland.<ref>{{cite web|title=Kto przynosi Wam prezenty? Św. Mikołaj, Gwiazdor, Aniołek, Dzieciątko czy może Dziadek Mróz?|url=https://bezprawnik.pl/kto-przynosi-prezenty-mikolaj-gwiazdor/|website=Bezprawnik|language=pl-PL|date=December 22, 2016|access-date=December 24, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171224213716/https://bezprawnik.pl/kto-przynosi-prezenty-mikolaj-gwiazdor/|archive-date=December 24, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Nie tylko Mikołaj, czyli kto według tradycji rozdaje prezenty w różnych regionach Polski?|url=http://wiadomosci.gazeta.pl/wiadomosci/1,114871,19380983,nie-tylko-mikolaj-czyli-kto-wedlug-tradycji-rozdaje-prezenty.html|website=gazeta.pl|date=December 21, 2015 |language=pl-PL|access-date=December 24, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171224213619/http://wiadomosci.gazeta.pl/wiadomosci/1,114871,19380983,nie-tylko-mikolaj-czyli-kto-wedlug-tradycji-rozdaje-prezenty.html|archive-date=December 24, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> It is worth noting that across all of Poland, St Nicholas is the gift giver on [[Saint Nicholas Day]] on December 6.

===Sport===
Christmas during the Middle Ages was a public festival with annual indulgences included the sporting.<ref name="ADS"/> When Puritans outlawed Christmas in England in December 1647 the crowd brought out footballs as a symbol of festive misrule.<ref name="auto"/> The Orkney [[Christmas Day Ba']] tradition continues.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.orkney.com/events/christmas-day-ba|title=Christmas Day Ba' 2023|website=Orkney.com}}</ref> In the [[Football League|former top tier of English football]], home and away Christmas Day and Boxing Day double headers were often played guaranteeing football clubs large crowds by allowing many working people their only chance to watch a game.<ref name=bbcbs>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/articles/z4y847h|title=Why football at Christmas is a very British tradition|website=BBC Bitesize}}</ref> Champions [[Preston North End]] faced [[Aston Villa]] [[1889-90 Football League|on Christmas Day 1889]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.90min.com/posts/the-last-time-football-was-played-christmas-day-england|title=The Last Time Football Was Played on Christmas Day in England|date=December 25, 2020|website=90min.com}}</ref> and the last December 25 fixture was in [[1965-66 in English football|1965 in England]], [[1965-66 Blackpool F.C.|Blackpool]] beating Blackburn Rovers 4–2.<ref name=bbcbs/> One of the most memorable images of the [[Christmas truce]] during World War I was the games of football played between the opposing sides on Christmas Day 1914.<ref>John Woodcock (November 17, 2013). [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/england/10455611/England-v-Germany-when-rivals-staged-beautiful-game-on-the-Somme.html "England v Germany: when rivals staged beautiful game on the Somme"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200612113529/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/england/10455611/England-v-Germany-when-rivals-staged-beautiful-game-on-the-Somme.html |date=June 12, 2020 }}, ''The Daily Telegraph''.</ref>

More recently, in the United States, both [[NFL American football|NFL]] and [[NBA basketball|NBA]] have held fixtures on Christmas Day.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/business-42239033|title=The sports games that don't stop for Christmas Day|date=December 22, 2017|via=www.bbc.co.uk}}</ref>

===Christmas in China===
During the late [[Qing dynasty]], the ''[[Shen Bao|Shanghai News]]'' referred to Christmas by a variety of terms. In 1872, it initially called Christmas "Jesus' birthday" ({{zh|t=耶穌誕日|p=yēsū dànrì}}), but from 1873 to 1881 it used terms such as "Western countries' Winter Solstice" ({{zh|t=西國冬至|p=xīguó dōngzhì}}) and "Western peoples' Winter Solstice" ({{zh|t=西人冬節|p=xīrén dōngjiē}}), before finally settling on "Foreign Winter Solstice" ({{zh|t=外國冬至|p=wàiguó dōngzhì}}) from 1882 onwards. This term was gradually replaced by the now standard term "Festival of the birth of the Holy One" ({{zh|t=聖誕節|p=shèngdàn jiē}}) during the early years of the twentieth century.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.iqh.net.cn/info.asp?column_id=8193 |title=从"外国冬至"到"圣诞节"：耶稣诞辰在近代中国的节日化 |access-date=2017-12-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171224214548/http://www.iqh.net.cn/info.asp?column_id=8193 |archive-date=2017-12-24 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

===Scandinavia and the Nordics===
{{Main|Yule and Christmas in Denmark|Christmas in Norway|Christmas in Sweden}}
{{Unreferenced section|date=December 2024}}

In Scandinavia—[[Denmark]], [[Norway]], [[Sweden]]—where [[Lutheranism]] is dominant, Christmas (''[[Yule|jul]]'') is celebrated on 24 December. In Sweden, it is traditional for companies to host a Christmas buffet lunch (julbord or jullunch) for their employees a week before Christmas. To prevent food poisoning during the holiday season, Swedish newspapers annually publish reports and laboratory tests warning the public to avoid leaving cold cuts, mayonnaise, and other perishable foods at room temperature to prevent spoilage. Christmas in Sweden is a time to indulge in festive meals, with roasted ham being the centerpiece of the feast. However, the exact day for enjoying this treat varies across regions, with each area having its own traditions. Another well-established custom in Sweden is tuning in to watch a special Disney television program at precisely 3 p.m. on December 24.

In Norway, the Christmas feast is held on December 24, with each region offering its own special dishes for Christmas dinner. After the meal, "Julenissen" (where "jule" means Christmas and "nissen" refers to a mythical elf in Norwegian folklore) brings gifts to well-behaved children. Following a quiet family gathering on December 25, another grand celebration takes place on Boxing Day, December 26, where children go door-to-door visiting neighbors and receiving treats.