A presentation on the history and traditions of Christmas as prepared by two of the 6th grade students from Living Water Academy in Wildwood, Mo. They received the highest score in their class on this assignment, and their reward included having their presentation posted on SlideShare!
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CHRISTMAS BY Savannah & Nick
How does France celebrate Christmas The first Christmas in
France was in the 14th century. In France there is more figures in
the nativity scenes. Only the adults go out for mid-night mass .
When they go home they have a special meal. The meal varies
depending which part of France you are in.
Let It Snow Classic Christmas song by Dean Martin
The history of the celebration of Christmas from the birth of
Jesus to present day The birth of Jesus is very important . It
slowly evolved into Christmas some years later. We celebrate
Christmas now by the exchange of gifts and setting up the Christmas
tree.
The exchange of Gifts We have many recorded events in history
that show the giving and receiving of gifts dates back at least to
the 4th century. St. Nicholas, a Christian Bishop, was known for
his generosity in giving to those less fortunate than he, as well
as giving to children of all backgrounds simply because he felt
they needed to savor their childhood, and have joyous times to
remember (contrary to the beliefs of that time, which would suggest
that boys even as young as 8 be sent to work to help earn income
for their families and girls as young as 5 to help their mothers
with the housework and meal preparation).
Exchange of Gifts (continued) The most common gift given were
homemade foods and sweets, oranges (this was a huge treat due to
the fact they were very rare), handcrafted gifts such as socks,
sweaters, dresses, nightgowns, blankets, tables, chairs, and other
handmade useful items.
The exchange of gifts (continued) This tradition began with St.
Nicholas in Turkey. It moved throughout the world very quickly, and
before the 10th century is supposed that nearly every country was
participating in this exchange.
How does Russia celebrate Christmas Thirteen days after Western
Christmas, on January 7th, the Russian Orthodox Church celebrates
its Christmas, in accordance with the old Julian calendar. It's a
day of both solemn ritual and joyous celebration
Santa Claus Some people celebrate Christmas because the birth
of Jesus Christ and on the other hand people celebrate Christmas
because of Santa Claus. Many children are taught that the old man
who carries a sack full of toys goes around houses giving gifts and
enters the house through the chimney. The children like to put a
face to Christmas and they see Santa Claus.
Santa's job Santa brings presents to good Christian children on
Christmas Eve. The kids wake up in the morning and there are tons
of presents from him under the tree and in their stockings hanging
on the fireplace. Naughty children receive coal in their stocking
or a rotten apple.
Christmas Cards The custom of sending Christmas cards started
in 1843 by Sir Henry Cole. He was a civil servant (government
worker) who was very interested in the new public post office and
wondered how It could be used more by ordinary people.
How we started Christmas Christmas is celebrated every year in
the month of December on the 25th day. Many people do not know when
and how Christmas started. There are people who do not know
religious reasons that people celebrate Christmas.
What Christmas means The word "Christmas" occurs nowhere in the
Bible. It is an old English word that means "Christ's Mass" which
refers to the celebration of the Lord's Supper.
When the Christmas tree started the origin of the Christmas
tree isn't exactly clear, but it's probably rooted in ancient
times, and probably connected to religious rituals. Many ancient
cultures revered evergreen trees, which stayed green in the winter
while other trees were bare. The evergreens served as a reminder
that winter would pass, and the land would once again be
fruitful.
Why do we put up Christmas trees Since before Christmas
existed, people used plants that stay green all year to decorate
their homes in the winter. Hanging evergreen boughs over a door was
a reminder of springtime during the cold, dark winter. .
Why do we put up Christmas trees (continued) But it wasn't
until the 16th century in Germany that Christians started using
trees as decorations around Christmas. German settlers in
Pennsylvania brought the first Christmas trees to America in the
late 1700s, but they weren't common until after 1834. That's when
Prince Albert, the German husband of Britain's Queen Victoria,
first brought a Christmas tree to Windsor Castle
How long have we been Question celebrating Christmas
