Christmas 2021: A look at history, significance and tradition of day celebrating birth of Jesus Christ

After the rough patch due to the still-existing pandemic, we all are looking forward to Christmas which is one of the most celebrated times of the year. People around the world come together on 25 December and celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, the teachings of whom formed the foundation of Christianity. Every year the believers of Christ celebrate the festival by attending special midnight mass at churches and exchanging gifts. Some visit their families, friends and indulge in memorable parties. The non-Christians too celebrate the day with the same fervour and religious zeal. The festival brings peace and hopefulness among people.  Significance As per the Bible, Jesus Christ, the son of God, was born in a stable in Bethlehem to Mother Mary and Saint Joseph. The day is celebrated as the birth of Christ but it also has a deeper meaning. Jesus Christ was born at the time when greed, hatred, and ignorance prevailed upon the land. He spread the message of peace and gave a spiritual turn to the lives of people. The son of God sacrificed his life for the sins of humanity. The followers of Christianity believe that God had sent his son on land to redeem the people from their sins. The churches around the globe remember the sacrifice of Christ during the prayers and spread his message of peace, morality and love. Celebrations The celebrations start with attending Christmas prayers or special midnight mass at churches. The festival also centers around several popular traditions. One of the most popular traditions is decorating the Christmas Tree. People decorate their houses with mistletoe, lights and a specially Christmas Star. They also exchange sweets, gifts and cook a grand meal to mark the day. This year, most of the families are not able to visit their loved ones owing to the pandemic. Interestingly, people are setting up Zoom calls to stay connected to their loves ones during the festival. Meanwhile, the European countries have tightened COVID-19 restrictions in view of the new variant, Omicron. Netherlands has declared a lockdown till 14 January to counter the deadly variant.