Christmas
Christmas is the celebration of birth. The story can be found in the of the in the Gospels of and :
- Jesus was born to Mary, a virgin who was to Joseph, a carpenter, in the town of Nazareth.
- Before Jesus was born, Mary was visited by an angel who told her that she would give birth to a baby boy, whom she should name Jesus.
- According to Matthew, Jesus was born in Bethlehem because Joseph and Mary had been ordered to go there to take part in a in Joseph's home town.
- When Mary and Joseph arrived in Bethlehem the local inn was already full with people returning for the census.
- The innkeeper let them stay in the stable where Mary gave birth to her son and laid him in a manger.
- Luke tells how shepherds were led to Jesus by an angel.
- In Matthew's account, wise men (or Magi) visited Jesus. They had followed a star that led them to Jesus and they presented him with gifts of gold, and .
Christmas is celebrated in a variety of ways. The story of Jesus' birth, called the , is often retold by children in nativity plays and many Catholic homes will have a nativity scene displayed in their houses. Many will also have religious displays including a star or angel on top of a Christmas tree. Church services often include a . The Catholic Church starts Christmas with a and/or a midnight service, called Midnight Mass. Christians often celebrate Christmas by giving and receiving presents and cards reminding them of the gifts of the Magi to the baby Christ as well as the gift of Jesus to the world.
The liturgical colour of the season is white. White is a colour of celebration and joy, and at Christmas that is the celebration of the of God.
What Christmas means for Christians today
Christmas is important to many Christians because it reminds them that:
- Jesus, the Son of God, came to Earth for all people, symbolised through the visits of the wise men and the shepherds
- Mary and Joseph both had a strong faith in God, despite the difficulties they faced
Epiphany
Epiphany is celebrated 12 days after Christmas, on 6 January, and commemorates the visit of the wise men to the infant Jesus. Epiphany literally means 'revealed', and this day also marks the day when Jesus was revealed to the world. This is when Jesus was revealed as God incarnate.
