Define Christmas

What is Christmas

Christmas , in the most basic sense , is a Christian holiday , celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ . However , it is generally agreed upon by scholars that Christ 's birth happened at a very different date from what most people celebrate . The establishment of Christmas as a holiday has its roots not strictly in the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ but in the attempts of the Roman Catholic Church to replace pagan holidays to assert power over the people . Today , however , Christmas no longer belongs only to Christians . Although

it is celebrated supposedly in memory of the birth of Jesus Christ , it is celebrated even by the non-religious . It has become much more than a birthday celebration , but a cultural event that centers on the celebration of humanity

Christmas brings with the holiday spirit ' - especially to a child Christmas is about presents , rich food , and a long vacation from school But Christmas does have some evils ' associated with it . Most blatantly , Christmas , at least in developed countries with a predominantly Christian population , is all about buying . It is a season during which the Western consumer culture comes to a peak . It is not an innocent phenomenon , but a time in which people must succumb to the demands of social expectations . Christmas is a time of obligatory generosity ' when people find themselves forced to conform to one of the most demanding holidays of the year . People must buy gifts , send out greeting cards , and prepare lavish dinners (and many poor people must wear Santa Claus outfits as part of their job ) in the name of conformity

For commercial corporations , Christmas is no longer truly about the birth of Christ , but about cashing in on the people 's sense of obligation of gift giving . During Christmas , stores advertise and sell products in the name of Jesus Christ . For corporations , Christmas is a wonderful opportunity for great gains . Christmas is a time of money making for the big corporations , and money becomes the reason for the season

During the Christmas season , many people feel obliged to give out presents and greeting cards to numerous other people . Gift-giving and card-sending are now , all too often , perfunctory activities that do not mean anything . Nevertheless , the most important aspect of Christmas is in the gift giving . It can be said the gift giving during Christmas represents the very essence of the Christmas season . Giving gifts means that , at least for the meantime , one is not self-centered . Giving gifts means that one acknowledges and appreciates the importance of other people

Of course , to many Christians , Christmas is a reminder of the messiah 's presence on earth . However , on another level , Christmas is a personal holiday , something that can be a truly satisfying and rewarding experience . Christmas is also still mostly a family-centered celebration , where unusually grand dinners are spent with seldom-seen relatives . But Christmas is also season of caring and generosity Christmas is no longer just a Christian festival , but a celebration in...