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Why do we celebrate Christmas

Today, Christmas is celebrated throughout the world, irrespective of nationality and religion. It comes across to all of us as a season of festivities and good spirit. Seldom do we ponder, why do we celebrate Christmas, on the first place?

The Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ on the Christmas Day. Though, the exact date of Jesus’ birth was not known, the Romans chose December 25 to mark and celebrate Jesus’ birthday.

The ancient English phrase “Christ’s mass” gives rise to the term “Christmas”. History tells that there have been periods when people became oblivious about Christmas and did not celebrate it. And, there have been periods when people celebrated this occasion with pomp and glitter. Jesus’ birthday or Christmas became a season of celebrations during the Middle Ages when people merrily enjoyed and exchanged gifts.

The main reason behind Christmas celebrations is the fact that the world was believed to have turned into a better place after Christ’s birth at Bethlehem. The child, whom Virgin Mary brought to life, in a manger, was believed to have influenced history than none other. Jesus’ birth, the life he lived, the love he spread and the death he died, touched people’s hearts and lives in an unprecedented manner.

Thus Christmas intends to celebrate the birth of this special messenger of God. By celebrating this day we love to remember and believe that God loves us and hence he had sent his favorite child to earth on that cold winter night.

The social changes that Jesus brought by spreading love and compassion for the women, the old, the poor and the sick were reforms that the world had never seen before. His belief, that God treated everybody as equals, had sown the first seeds of democracy. After Jesus’ death, one, of the very few ways of paying respect to this revered reformer, was to celebrate his birthday.

All the stories associated with Christ’s birth like those of angels announcing the birth to the shepherds and the Wise Men or the Magi visiting the newly-born Jesus with gifts, spread a message of compassion, love, warmth, kindness, hope and goodwill. Above all, in today’s world of disbelief, anger, corruption, deceit, explosives and wars, Christmas and its traditional beliefs spread a message of trust and faith. That is why we celebrate Christmas and love it. The fact that we get to celebrate this one festival, forgetting our religions, our nationalities, our financial status and our political beliefs, makes it more dear to us. During Christmas we forget our tensions, our selfish interests and our differences as we come together and celebrate the true spirit of humanity, that Jesus underwent so much pain to propagate. And the fact that we still love to celebrate Christmas and wait eagerly for it conveys the message that we still love being together, no matter how fast and self-centered our lives might have become.

Some might celebrate Christmas because they love the Christmas tree. Some might adore Santa Clause. For some the main attraction of Christmas may be the stocking or the unwrapping of the gifts. Some might love Christmas for the food and the sweets. Some might find the idea of exchanging gifts a great one. But over and above all, the reason, why millions of people celebrate Christmas even 2000 years after Christ’s death, is beyond comprehension. It may not only be to mark and celebrate Christ’s birthday. It may be because we do not wish to let go of this only festival that lets us carry Christ’s goodness in ourselves, for a day at least.