Christmas is a widely celebrated holiday that takes place on the 25th of December yearly. It is a sacred religious holiday as well as a worldwide cultural phenomena that is celebrated in a wide variety of ways. The middle of the winter has always been a highly celebrated time of year. Even before the arrival of Jesus Christ, Europeans celebrated light and birth during the darkest part of the winter. In Scandinavia the Norse celebrate Yule from the first of December through January. In Rome, a holiday was celebrated in honor of Saturn, the god of agriculture. These are just a few of the many examples of how even before Christmas came to be highly celebrated the time of year has always brought different cultural and religious celebrations. There are many religions that do not celebrate Christmas such as Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, along with Judaism as Christmas is seen as an ancient Christian celebration. We are going to focus on two main countries that celebrate this holiday. Spain and the United States

United States and Spain Celebrations

Christmas is a very popular and widely loved holiday in the United States, and we celebrate it because of the birth of Jesus Christ. Popular customs include the exchange of gifts between family and friends, decorating Christmas trees, as well as waiting for Santa Clause to arrive. Many also attend church services, and share meals with friends and families. There is an Italian tradition that includes eating 7 different kinds of fish, which is a tradition me and my family celebrate. It has been a holiday in the United States since 1870. Most people in Spain go to a midnight mass, also known as “La Misa Del Gallo” (The Mass of the Rooster). Christmas Eve is also known as Nochebuena, and there are certain traditions that go along with Nochebuena such as singing carols around the neighborhood. Most families eat their Christmas meal on Christmas eve before the church service. After the midnight service it is a tradition for people to walk through the streets carrying torches playing guitars and beating on tambourines and drums. As we can see from the information above, different parts of the world have very different traditions due to the different cultures that are celebrated. 

Along with these two regions there are many other places around the world that focus on certain traditions that are catered to their religion and cultures. Christmas is a widely loved and celebrated holiday. It is a time to gather with family and friends and celebrate the birth of Jesus, with feasts along with gifts as a sign of love and gratitude. 

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