Merry Christmas to all those who are celebrating it today or at all!
It is a time to share love, joy, peace, and goodwill with our family, friends, and neighbours. It is a time to enjoy the traditions and customs that make this season unique and meaningful.
Not everyone celebrates Christmas on the same day and even not everyone who celebrates Christmas is a Christian.
In fact, Christmas is a very diverse and multicultural holiday, with different dates, names, and practices in different countries and regions.
The most common date for Christmas is December 25th, which is followed by most Christians and many non-Christians in the world.
Some Christians, especially those who belong to the Eastern Orthodox Church, follow a different calendar, called the Julian calendar, which was introduced by Julius Caesar in 46 BC. The Julian calendar is currently 13 days behind the Gregorian calendar, so December 25th on the Julian calendar falls on January 7th on the Gregorian calendar. This is why some Christians, such as those in Russia, Ukraine, Serbia, and Ethiopia, celebrate Christmas on January 7th.
Christmas is celebrated by many people in countries, where Christians are a minority. For example, more than 80% of people in Japan or majority of people in China, India or Indonesia celebrate Christmas. These countries have very low percentages of Christians, but they have adopted some of the secular aspects of Christmas, such as gift-giving, decorations, and Santa Claus.
There are also many differences and variations in the way people celebrate Christmas. For example, some countries have their own names and legends for the gift-bringer, such as Sinterklaas in the Netherlands, Ded Moroz in Russia, or Los Reyes Magos in Spain. Some countries have their own traditional foods and drinks for Christmas, such as lechón in the Philippines, panettone in Italy, or glögg in Sweden. Some countries have their own customs and rituals for Christmas, such as the Krampuslauf in Austria, the KFC dinner in Japan, or the sauna in Finland.
Merry Christmas to all!
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