Merry ChristmasHappy Christmas

Christmas Day is 25 DecemberChristmas Eve is 24 December

December 26 is called Boxing Day

Christmas is a Christian celebration. Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus - Christ –hence the word Christ-mas.

The Christmas Story…

Mary and Joseph had to go to Bethlehem because there was a big census.

(A census is a count of the population.)

When they arrived they couldn’t find anywhere to stay.

An innkeeper let them sleep in his stable with the animals.

That night Jesus was born and Mary laid him in a manger.

Shepherds were watching their sheep nearby when angels appeared and told them to go to Bethlehem and visit the new king.

They were to follow the star and they would find him laying in a manger.

Three wise men from the east had also been told a new “King of the Jews” was to be born and they could follow the star to find him.

They brought gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

Imagine their surprise to find him in a stable!

Mary and Joseph were warned by angels not to go back to their home as King Herod was looking to kill the new baby that was called “the King of the Jews”.

So they fled to Egypt and later settled in Galilee, in their old town of Nazareth.

This means that

Mary and Joseph

and their

family were

REFUGEES.

http://www.whychristmas.com/story/the_christmas_story.shtml

At Christmas

People give each other cards. People give gifts.

At Christmas

Parents play Father Christmas / Santa with their young children.

They tell them that if they are good, Father Christmas will come and bring them presents on Christmas Day.

Children

Write to Santa about what they’d like him to bring them.

Visit Santa… But some don’t like it!

Leave food for Santa and his reindeers on Christmas Eve.

Decorate the Christmas tree

At Christmas

• Family and friends get together to have a feast.

• For some, this is on Christmas Day. For others, it is on Christmas Eve or Boxing Day.

• It is an important time because people often make a special effort to get together, sometimes travelling a long way.

At Christmas

It can be a hard time for many people –

• sad memories

• having to mix with people they really don’t like much

• maybe they are far away from those they love

• maybe they can’t afford to celebrate and give gifts to their children.

In Australia

•Christmas Day and Boxing Day are public holidays.

•The shops are closed although some stores have special Boxing Day sales.

People make special things

Have a very happy

Christmas!