History of Christmas and Traditions
Written by: Elizabeth Patrick
Did you know, according to Firstcry Parenting 24 Interesting Facts and Information About Christmas for Kids states that “Alabama was the first state in the US to recognize Christmas as a holiday in the year 1836?”
Christmas Day has been a federal holiday across the United States since 1870. As Americans began to embrace Christmas as a family holiday, old customs and traditions were changed. People started to look towards immigrants and Catholic churches to see how the day should be celebrated.
Throughout the next several years, Americans built a Christmas tradition all their own that included pieces of many other customs, including decorating trees, sending holiday cards, and gift-giving.
To celebrate Christmas in other countries, people give gifts to friends and loved ones, symbolizing the original offerings by the Magi of Gold.
In Mexico, during the several days leading up to Christmas, there are reenactments of Mary and Joseph’s search for an inn where they believed Jesus was born.
On Christmas Day, children throughout Mexico take turns batting a pinata stuffed with toys and holiday-themed candy. Even though Christmas is celebrated all over the country, different countries celebrate Christmas in different ways based on their beliefs and traditions.
In America, Christmas is celebrated annually on December 25 and is both a religious holiday and a worldwide cultural phenomenon. Christians worldwide celebrate Christmas Day as the anniversary of the birth of Jesus.
Some popular traditions that Americans will celebrate Christmas include exchanging gifts, attending church, sharing meals with family and friends, and most importantly, waiting for Santa Claus to come.
Christmas in America is a time of year for families and friends to get together and put up Christmas decorations, have gift exchanges, go Christmas caroling, go Christmas shopping and watch Christmas movies. Some of the most popular Christmas movies include National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, Home Alone, The Santa Claus, Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer, How The Grinch Stole Christmas, Elf, A Christmas Story, and Frosty The Snowman.
There is also a wide variety of different Christmas carols that are popular. Some of the most popular Christmas carols include White Christmas, Jingle Bells, The First Noel, Away in a Manager, This Christmas, Jingle Bell Rock, Feliz Navidad, Rockin Around the Christmas Tree, All I Want For Christmas Is You, and Rudolph, The Red-Nosed Reindeer.
To conclude, Christmas is a time of year where families and friends gather to celebrate Christmas and their beliefs.
