“Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and peace on earth to those with whom he is pleased.”
Luke: 2.14

Christmas is one of the biggest celebrations for the people belonging to the Christian community, the world's largest religion. It is the annual holiday that celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ, son of God; the Lord and Savior of mankind.

Christmas literally means the Mass of Christ and it comes from the Latin "Christes Masse" and Mass means celebration. The years before Jesus' birth are marked as B.C. (Before Christ), and the years after Jesus' birth are marked A.D. (Anno Domini, which means, in the year of our Lord).

Christmas is celebrated in different ways by different countries around the world. Caroling, feasting, and gift-giving along with the prayers, greetings and wishes; Christmas is celebrated with high spirits in various parts of the world, including countries with small Christian populations like India. Though the mode of celebration, the dates and the traditions vary, the spirit remains the same everywhere. Majority of people celebrate Christmas on 25th December including Protestant and Roman Catholic churches .The Eastern churches - the Ethiopian Orthodox church, Russian Orthodox Church and the Armenian church - celebrate Christmas on 6 or 7 January.

The date of the celebration, 25th December, is traditional, and is not considered to be Jesus' actual date of birth. Traditions say that it has been celebrated since the year 98 AD. In 137 AD the Bishop of Rome ordered the birthday of the Christ Child celebrated as a solemn feast. This date was first officially recognized on Roman calendars about 336 A.D. having been decreed by Pope Sylvester in 320 A.D. to coincide with the Sun-God feast, Saturnalia which symbolize the victory of light over darkness.

Christmas celebrations commence on Christmas' Eve in many countries which begins at the evening of the preceding date, December 24. The day following Christmas Day, December 26, is known as Boxing Day in the United Kingdom and many countries of the Commonwealth. The Armenian Apostolic Church observes Christmas on January 6. Eastern Orthodox Churches who use the Julian calendar celebrate Christmas on January 7, because the Julian calendar and Gregorian calendar are now 13 days apart.

The significance of Christmas is the fact that God has sent His Son to deliver us from all sin, all pain, all sorrow and all tears and Jesus was born into our sinful world to die for us.