Christmas Day PPT

Father Christmas
• It is said that in the year of 300 AD, there was a kind old man and his name was Saint Nicholas. He was always ready to help the poor and often gave presents to them. • Today, Father Christmas is an imaginary figure, but nearly all young children believe in him. They think he is a happy old man with a long white beard and a long red robe. • On the night of the twenty-fourth of December every year, Father Christmas from some cold northern land comes down the chimney ['tʃimni]of the fireplace to put presents by the beds of children or to fill their stockings. So when children go to bed that night, they hang up their stockings, and on Christmas morning they wake to find them full of presents. Of course, it's really their parents who fill the stockings. • Another name for Father Christmas is Santa Claus.
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STAR OF BETHLEHEM
• The Star of Bethlehem is one of the oldest symbols of Christmas. A star traditionally sits atop Christmas trees. Stars are used for many other Christmas decorations, too.
CHRISTMAS LIGHTS
• Lighted candles have always been a part of Christmas celebrations. The candles represent Jesus Christ, who the Bible calls “the light of the world.” Today, most people decorate their homes and yards with electric lights in place of candles.
THE ROOTS OF CHRISTMAS
• No one knows exactly when Jesus Christ was born. For many years, local Christian churches celebrated Christ’s birth at different times. Then, in the ad 300s, the Roman Catholic Church set the birth date at December 25. • At that time, older non-Christian festivals were celebrated around Christmas. The Romans celebrated Saturnalia, a festival honoring their god of harvest and god of light. Other Europeans held festivals in mid-December marking the end of the harvest season. The Roman Catholic Church probably chose December 25 to give a Christian meaning to these older festivals. • The Orthodox Church, the Christian church in the east, also began using December 25 as the birth date of Jesus. But the Orthodox Church places more importance on celebrating Jesus’ baptism on January 6.
CHRISTMAS GIFTS
• The custom of exchanging gifts at Christmas comes from the ancient Romans. During Saturnalia, the Romans exchanged tokens of good luck. Later, it became customary for Romans to exchange more valuable gifts, such as clothes or jewelry. The Biblical story of the Three Wise Men who presented gifts to baby Jesus also shaped this Christmas custom.
CHRISTMAS TREES
• The tradition of the Christmas tree came to North America from Germany. Long ago, Germans began decorating evergreen trees in their homes at Christmas. They trimmed their trees with fruits, cookies, and lighted candles. German immigrants to the United States brought this custom with them in the 1800s. Before Christian times, ancient people used evergreens for decoration and religious ceremonies. Because evergreens do not die in the winter, they came to symbolize eternal life.
ChristmaS?
• Christmas is a Christian holiday. It commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ more than 2,000 years ago. Christian churches hold religious services to celebrate Christmas. At midnight on Christmas Eve, most churches hold special candlelight services. • But Christmas is also a social and family holiday. It is a festival of goodwill, a time for family, friends, food, and gift-giving. • Many Americans share Christmas cookies, decorate their homes, and place presents under the family Christmas tree. Children often hang up stockings for Santa Claus to fill with small gifts. According to tradition, Santa arrives on a sleigh pulled by reindeer. Presents are usually opened on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day.
CHRISTMAS AROUND THE WORLD
• Each part of the world has its own Christmas traditions. In many countries, gifts are exchanged on January 6 to mark the Epiphany. On January 5, the eve of the Epiphany, children in Spain leave grain in their shoes for the Wise Men’s camels. The next morning, they find small gifts in place of the grain. • In Mexico, singing children parade from house to house in a tradition called posadas. They ask for shelter, like Mary and Joseph in Bethlehem before Jesus’ birth. The children are turned away at many doors before they are finally invited in. Then, everyone enjoys a large meal, singing, and dancing. • In the southern part of the world, in places like Australia, Christmas arrives in summer. Australians often celebrate Christmas with a beach picnic! And Santa’s sleigh is said to be pulled by eight kangaroos!