Merry Christmas

Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ,[7][8] observed

most commonly on December 25[4][9][10]as a religious and cultural celebration among billions
of people around the world.[2][11][12] A feast central to the Christian liturgical year, it is
prepared for by the season of Advent or the Nativity Fast and initiates the season
of Christmastide, which historically in the West lasts twelve days and culminates
on Twelfth Night;[13] in some traditions, Christmastide includes an Octave.[14] The
traditional Christmas narrative, the Nativity of Jesus, delineated in the New
Testament says that Jesus was born in Bethlehem, in accordance with messianic
prophecies;[15] when Joseph and Mary arrived in the city, the inn had no room and so they
were offered a stable where the Christ Child was soon born, with angels proclaiming this
news to shepherds who then disseminated the message furthermore.[16] Christmas Day is a
public holiday in many of the world's nations,[17][18][19] is celebrated religiously by the vast
majority of Christians,[20] as well as culturally by a number of non-Christian
people,[1][21] and is an integral part of the holiday season, while some Christian groups
reject the celebration. In several countries, celebrating Christmas Eve on December 24 has
the main focus rather than December 25, with gift-giving and sharing a traditional meal
with the family.
 On December 25, Christians around the world will gather to celebrate Jesus’
birth. Joyful carols, special liturgies, brightly wrapped gifts, festive foods—these
all characterize the feast today, at least in the northern hemisphere. But just
how did the Christmas festival originate? How did December 25 come to be
associated with Jesus’ birthday?
The Bible offers few clues: Celebrations of Jesus’ Nativity are not mentioned in
the Gospels or Acts; the date is not given, not even the time of year. The biblical
reference to shepherds tending their flocks at night when they hear the news of
Jesus’ birth (Luke 2:8) might suggest the spring lambing season; in the cold
month of December, on the other hand, sheep might well have been corralled.
Yet most scholars would urge caution about extracting such a precise but
incidental detail from a narrative whose focus is theological rather than
calendrical.
One of the best things about growing up in India was all the holidays
we celebrated. As a multicultural country, all festivals are celebrated
with lots of joy and gusto. Some of the popular festivals are Diwali,
Holi, and Eid, but you may be surprised to know that India is home to a
considerable population of Christians, who, along with the rest of the
country, celebrate Christmas with their own rituals and traditions.
Here are some of my memories of celebrating Christmas in India.
A Catholic Christmas in India
I grew up in a Catholic family in India, and as children, we always
looked forward to the Christmas break. Christmas in India is
particularly religious, with church services playing a huge role in
celebrating this festival. The preparations start — as in Western
countries — on Advent Sunday. Churches start planning their
celebrations and masses, and households start planning their food,
sweets, and decorations.