N1-

For many people in many countries around the world, Celebrating Christmas is a yearly statement of their religious beliefs. For others it is an opportunity to exchange presents with friends & family, & to indulge in the more secular aspects of the season. Whatever the reason for their celebration, they are taking part in a festival that combines traditions from various civilizations across three millennia or more. Christmas is the most important festival of the Christians. It is celebrated with great enthusiasm & gaiety all over the world. It is observed on 25th December to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. Most commonly used colors of Christmas are Green, Red & Gold. Evergreen plants, like Holly, Ivy have been used for thousands of years to decorate & brighten up buildings during the long dark winter. They also reminded people that spring would come & that winter wouldnt last forever.

N2-

N1-

N2-

Red is the color of Holly berries, which is said to represent the blood of Jesus when he died on the cross. Gold is the color of the sun & light both very important in the dark winter. 25TH of December commemorates the birth of Jesus, which is celebrated as Christmas with great pomp & glory. The first thing that comes to mind when we talk about Christmas is Santa Claus, Carols, Cakes & so on But theres something more to it.

N1-

N2-

N1- From the Holy Bible, according to THE Gospel Mathew tells the good news that Jesus is the promised savior, the one through whom god fulfilled the promises he made to the people in the Old Testament. This good news is not only for Jewish people, among whom Jesus was born & lived but for the whole world. N2Mary, a virgin, was living in Galilee of Nazareth & was engaged to e married to Joseph, a Jewish carpenter. An angel visited her & explained to her that she would conceive a son by the power of the Holy Spirit. She would carry & give birth to this child & she would name him Jesus. At first Mary was afraid & troubled by the angels words. Being a virgin, Mary questioned the angel, how will this be? The angel explained that the child would be Gods own son &, therefore, nothing is impossible with god. Humbled & in awe, Mary believed the angel of the lord & rejoiced in God her savior. While Mary was still engaged to Joseph, she miraculously conceived through the Holy Spirit, as foretold to her by the angel. When Mary told Joseph she was conceived, he had every right to feel disgraced. He knew the child was not his own, & Marys apparent unfaithfulness carried a grave social stigma. In Jewish law she could be put to death by stoning. So he decided to break the engagement quietly. But God sent an angel to Joseph in a dream to verify Marys story & reassure him that his marriage to her was Gods will. Joseph! Joseph! The child within Mary was conceived by the Holy Spirit that his name would be Jesus & that he was the Messiah, God with us.

N1-

N2-

N1-

N2-

N1-

N2-

N1-

N2-

N1-

When Joseph woke from his dream, he willingly obeyed God & took Mary home to be his wife. At that time, Caesar Augustus decreed that a census be taken, & every person in the entire Roman world had to go to his own town to register. Joseph, being of the line of David was required to go to Bethlehem to register with Mary. SONG

N2-

N1-

N2-

And there were in the same country Sheppard abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. SONG

N1-

Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the King, behold, there came wise men from East to Jerusalem Then King Herod was troubled & gathered all the Chief Priests & Scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ would be born. When King Herod, got to know where the child was born, he called the wise men & said unto them. Go & search diligently for the young child, & when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come & worship him also. When they had heard the king, they departed & a star guided them. SONG

N2-

N1-

N2-

N1-

N1-

And so, God fulfilled his promise by sending his only son Jesus to die for our sins. This sacrifice really serves as a witness for the love, God has towards his people.

N2-

Therefore Christmas is also called sometimes as the festival of Love as it reconciles the feeling of hatred, jealousy into Love