Christmas^[3] or Christmas Day^[4][5] is a holiday held on December 25 to commemorate the birth of Jesus, the central figure of Christianity.^[6][7] The date is not known to be the actual birth date of Jesus, and may have initially been chosen to correspond with either the day exactly nine months after some early Christians believed Jesus had been conceived,^[8] the date of the winter solstice on the ancient Roman calendar,^[9] or one of various ancient winter festivals.^[10][11] Christmas is central to the Christmas and holiday season, and in Christianity marks the beginning of the larger season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days.^[12]

Although nominally a Christian holiday, Christmas is also widely celebrated by many non-Christians,^[1][13] and some of its popular celebratory customs have pre-Christian or secular themes and origins. Popular modern customs of the holiday include gift-giving, music, an exchange of greeting cards, church celebrations, a special meal, and the display of various decorations; including Christmas trees, lights, garlands, mistletoe, nativity scenes, and holly. In addition, Father Christmas (known as Santa Claus in some areas, including North America, Australia and Ireland) is a popular folklore figure in many countries, associated with the bringing of gifts for children.^[14]

(... from Wikipedia on 2010-03-19 08:58:53 )