Me and my community

Christianity and Christmas

For Christians, Christmas is significant as it celebrates the incarnation, or birth, of Jesus Christ.

What does Christmas celebrate?

For Christians, Christmas is significant as it celebrates the incarnation. This means God being made man in the form of Jesus Christ. Christians believe that Jesus brought light into the world through his actions and teachings. He also brought light through his death and rising, so that the sins of humans could be forgiven, and proving to Christians that eternal life exists.

At Christmas, Christians remember the story of Jesus’s birth. Jesus was born to a woman called Mary, who was engaged to Joseph, a carpenter in the town of Nazareth in Galilee. Mary was visited by an angel who told her that she would become pregnant by the power of the Holy Spirit and give birth to a baby called Jesus, who would be the son of God. Jesus was born in Bethlehem because Joseph and Mary had travelled there to take part in a census which the Roman rulers had ordered.

When Mary and Joseph arrived in Bethlehem, the local inn was full. Jesus was laid in a manger (a feeding trough used for animals) instead of a cot, which has led many Christians to believe that Jesus was born in a stable or a cave where animals were kept.

How is Christmas celebrated?

In preparation for Christmas, many Christians mark the four weeks leading up to Christmas Day. This is known as Advent. For most Christians, Advent is a time of great excitement and expectation.

In the UK Christmas Day is celebrated on the 25th December each year, but not all Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus on this day. Many Eastern Orthodox Christians for example mark the event on the 7th January.

There are many customs and traditions that are associated with the celebration of Christmas, but some of these are not religious. For example, modern images of Santa Clausand reindeer are common at Christmas, but they bear little connection to the Christian celebration. Christian traditions, that many non-religious people also perform, include church services, exchanging gifts and nativity plays.

While many people chose to spend Christmas celebrating with their families, many Christians see it as a time to spread God’s love in their communities. On Christmas Day, many local churches open their doors to help those less fortunate than themselves. Some congregations or communities run soup kitchens for the homeless, and others may visit the elderly at home. Christmas is traditionally celebrated over twelve days, ending on a festival in January called Epiphany, when Christians believe that the Magi (also known as the Three Kings or Three Wise Men) visited the infant Jesus.

Other Christian festivals

The Christian festival of Easter remembers Jesus rising from the dead, three days after he died by crucifixion on a cross. The date of Easter Sunday varies from year to year. It is celebrated on the first Sunday after the full moon, on or after 21st March.

Leading up to Easter Sunday, various celebrations bring Christians together, such as Good Friday, when Christians gather to give thanks for Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, sometimes staging re-enactments of the crucifixion.