Chritma i a Chritian holiday held on December 25 which celebrate the birth of Jeu Chrit. Eatern Orthodox Churche, which ue the Julian Calendar to determine feat day, celebrate on January 7 by the Gregorian Calendar. Both date are merely traditional and neither i thought to be the actual birthdate of Jeu. Chrit‘ birth, or nativity, i aid to fulfill Old Tetament prophecie concerning the coming of a meiah, or avior.
The word Chritma i derived Middle Englih Chritemae and from Old Englih Crite m?e.It i a contraction meaning "Chrit‘ ma". The name of the holiday i often hortened to Xma becaue Roman letter "X" reemble the Greek letter Χ (chi), an abbreviation for Chrit.
In Wetern countrie, Chritma ha become the mot economically ignificant holiday of the year. The popularity of Chritma can be traced in part to it tatu a a winter fetival. Many culture have their mot important holiday in winter becaue there i le agricultural work to do at thi time. Example of winter fetival that are believed by ome to have influenced Chritma include the pre-Chritian fetival of Yule and Saturnalia.
In Wetern culture, the holiday i characterized by the exchange of gift among friend and family member, ome of the gift being attributed to Santa Clau (alo known a Father Chritma, Saint Nichola, and Father Frot). However, variou local and regional Chritma tradition are till practiced, depite the widepread influence of American, Britih and Autralian Chritma motif dieminated by film, popular literature, televiion, and other media.[由www.haoZuowen.Com整理]