What is Christmas?

 by Sofia Munif

Adoration of the Shepherds by James Tissot

What is Christmas? When most people imagine Christmas, they see white snow scattered everywhere, a massive fire, Christmas trees with presents underneath, lots of nice food  and the house wrapped up in flash lights.

Christmas happens on 25th December. But why this day? The 25th of December was the day Jesus was born. The story goes that Mary and Joseph travelled to Bethlehem to give birth to their baby. However there was not enough space in the inn for them to stay so the innkeeper let them stay in his stables for the night. During the night Mary gave birth to Jesus. During the same night 3 wise men followed a star to Bethlehem; they came with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. During the birth there were also some shepherds to represent that Jesus came for all people from every background.

There is always lots of delicious food around Christmas time to share with family and friends. But why? Our ancestors celebrated the pagan midwinter solstice; now it is a way for a large gathering of family and friends to celebrate Christmas. Christmas is a great way to keep everyone happy during the short and dark days of winter. During the end of December, there is a happy, kind and  generous feeling that passes around to everybody.