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Every kid loves Christmas! Christmas is the one holiday where kids can sit around a tinsel-covered tree, open up colorful presents, salivate over baked goodies, sing carols, and read tales about Santa Claus and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer! Christmas encourages people to give, share, laugh, and play. It brings families together with love and respect. People from all over the world celebrate Christmas and its traditions in remembrance of the birth of Jesus Christ.
Although it originated by the Roman Catholic Church on December 25th to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ, many people of non-faith celebrate Christmas. Some people who do not believe in God refer to this holiday as X-mas. Many countries started celebrating Christmas before the United States. In fact, Americans started celebrating Christmas during the first half of the 19th century in Sunday school. In 1836, Alabama became the first state to recognize and celebrate Christmas as an official holiday. The capital followed in 1870, and by 1893 all of the states and territories had similar acknowledgments.
As time evolved, America began to glamorize Christmas and the popularity of the holiday exploded. Families started to sing popular Christmas carols and songs. Parents would read Christmas tales and poems at their child’s bedside. Houses would fill with the scent of delicious cookies and other Christmas themed baked good. Many families even made gingerbread houses to eat on Christmas Day. The popularity of Santa Claus, or Saint Nicholas, started to catch on across the nation as well. Kids all over the country started to make cookies and leave milk by the fireplace in hopes of making Santa Claus happy. In the morning, the children would run to their brightly colored Christmas trees to open their many gifts. Some families would ask their kids to open their red and white stockings first. Others may have told their kids to wait until after breakfast.
Today, Christmas shares the same traditions and celebrations, except some argue that it has lost its original meaning and spirit. Some countries celebrate different holidays around the same time as many do Christmas. These holidays have their own traditions and celebrations. Despite what holiday is celebrated, everybody should respect each other’s reasons for celebration during the holiday season. It is this acceptance that makes the true Christmas spirit shine through. It’s up to future generations to determine if Christmas will still carry its long revered meaning and appreciation.
Follow these links to celebrate the wonderful Christmas holiday:
The History of Christmas
Christmas Facts and Trivia
Reindeer Facts and Information
Christmas Crafts and Activities
Christmas Recipes
Tracking Santa and other Interactive Games
Christmas Songs and Carols
Christmas Tales and Stories
Christmas Poems and Rhymes
