photo by Georges van Hoegaerden

For Christians worldwide, Christmas is the most important season of the year along with Easter. On December 25th, Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, believed to be the Messiah and God’s begotten son. Although Christmas celebrations and traditions vary from country to country, a common thread is an atmosphere of celebration and warmth.

Common elements you’ll find are the lighting of the Christmas tree, the exchange of gifts signifying gifts brought to the baby Jesus by The Three Wise Men, creation of nativity scenes depicting the birth of Christ in the manger, hanging of Christmas wreaths, stockings and candy canes, the singing of Christmas carols, visits by Santa Claus, exchange of greeting cards, religious practices such as midnight mass, etc. … and the gathering of family and friends for special moments.

Christmas stamps … printed in some countries during the season and are valid for postage. Photo by Jovike

Beautiful Nativity scene by Jeffweese

On Christmas mornings, children wake up in anticipation of gifts under the Christmas tree left by Santa Claus. Photo by fishy_fella

Children worldwide love Santa! They wish lists of the things they would like to receive for Christmas under the tree for him. Photo by Axel Bührmann

For children in Africa, Christmas is also about having favorite food and delicacies, dressing up in their ‘Christmas clothes’ and paying visits to loved ones. Photo by Axel Bührmann

In Ukraine, Christmas day is January 7th. Over the years, many now celebrate Christmas on December 25th as well and is quite common nowadays. It’s a joyous time filled with family festivities, as summarized by these words on santa.net, “… whether Christmas is celebrated on December 25th or on January 7th the message is the same: “Peace on Earth! Good will towards men!“” Young people caroling and presenting Christmas scenes in Lviv, Western Ukraine. Photo by Mykola Swarnyk
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