Christmas Day
The Christmas season and all its activities are
geared to the big day,
Dec. 25, which is Christmas Day. The word Christmas
is derived from Middle English 'Christemasse' and
Old English 'Cristes maesse,' both of which means
'Christ's Mass.' The day is celebrated by Christians
as the day that Jesus Christ was born, although the
true date of Jesus' birth isn't really known.
Given the religious significance of Christmas Day,
it therefore follows
that attending church is a big tradition on that
day. It is seen as mandatory for devout Christians
and for others who are concerned about retaining the
sacred meaning of the day. Many people fear that the
sacred aspects of Christmas are being lost and
overshadowed amid the bustle of commercial activity
now associated with the entire season.
Church services therefore take place early on Christmas morning. Attending those services is the
first official activity that many people do on
Christmas Day. Unlike the Midnight Mass and other
earlier church services on Christmas Eve, Christmas
Day services do not usually include the
dramatization of the birth of Jesus. They may be
more subdued with a sermon that recounts the birth
of Jesus and his purpose to save mankind. The
congregation is then exalted to be
as giving as Jesus and to help out those who are in
need.
Consequently, many people will take some time on
Christmas Day to
volunteer in a charitable activity such as serving
dinner to the poor and hungry at a church,
charitable organization or other social services
center. Others will also work with charitable
organizations to distribute toys to needy children
at shelters, hospitals and other places.
As part of the religious aspect of Christmas Day,
groups that sing Christmas carols will also be out
very early on Christmas morning.
Although Christmas Dinner is the most significant
meal of the day, a large breakfast will also be
served in most households that will be shared by all
family members. The occasion of all family members
having a meal together is a disappearing tradition
in many American households and so Christmas is seen
as a perfect time to return to the tradition.
Christmas Day after all, is all about family,
sharing and togetherness.
Throughout the day, greetings of 'Merry Christmas'
will be exchanged by telephone calls with family,
friends, acquaintances, and loved ones who are
located elsewhere in the country and overseas. It is
a common occurrence for so many people to be trying
to make international calls to loved ones and
friends on Christmas Day that telephone
communication systems to some countries often are
overwhelmed. The availability of technology and the
Internet eases that somewhat nowadays however, as
emails and instant messaging can also be used as
other communication channels to exchange greetings
on Christmas Day.
Christmas Day Dinner is undoubtedly the central
activity of the day. Family and friends gathered for
dinner take pleasure in enjoying and sharing a
delicious meal and also are mindful and thankful for
the opportunity to be able to share the meal, to
have each other and for the material things that
make their lives comfortable and give them
happiness.
Some of those material things are then shared in
absolute delight as everyone will gather around or
near to the Christmas tree after dinner to exchange
and open Christmas presents. It's an activity that
is relished and which is filled with much laughter,
happy chatter and merriment, especially by children
who are usually much delighted to get a toy that
they had wished for.
After dinner and the exchange of presents, adults
may have light conversations, play games or even
watch a movie. Children are often taken up with
experimenting or playing with their new toys. It has
also become a tradition on Christmas Day for members
of some families, such as teenagers and young
adults, to end Christmas Day by attending the movie
theater on Christmas evening or Christmas
night to see a recently released film.