Christmas Eve

Christmas » Christmas Eve

Christmas is a special festival as it holds a special place in every Christian's heart. This festival is a time of celebration and get together with family and friends. Christmas is not just on twenty-fifth of December but many days together make Christmas a festival. Christmas Eve, Christmas day, The Feast of Epiphany and New Year together make Christmas. Christmas Eve is the day before Christmas that is twenty forth of December.

This day is popular in the west rather than in the east, after this day comes Christmas. The history of this day is related to the early days of Christmas celebration. Earlier people began a new day on evening so Christmas began on twenty-forth December's evening and continued until the next day's afternoon that is the afternoon of twenty-fifth but later this idea was changed and a new day began at mid night. As it was celebrated at evening, so the day was called Christmas eve.

Usually in many countries Christmas Eve is celebrated on twenty-fourth of December but the orthodox churches in some countries like Coptic, Serbia, Russia, Macedonia and Greece celebrate it according to the Julian calendar. This calendar is presently thirteen days behind the Gregorian calendar. Therefore, the churches that accept and follow Julian calendar celebrate it thirteen days after twenty forth of December. This date comes on January sixth.

The mid night mass that inaugurates the beginning of Christmas in many countries is held at evening of twenty forth of December that is celebrated as Christmas eve in many countries. In many countries where Christmas day is of utmost importance, this day is spent in preparing the next day's pudding and cake or in the decoration. Christmas Eve belongs more or less to the Twelve days of Christmas.

For kids this is an important and desirable day as St. Nicolas that is Santa Claus comes to visit them and give their gifts on this day. Christmas dinner in many countries is served on this day. Gifts are opened on this day.

There are many traditions and beliefs associated with the Christmas Eve day. Some of them are:

People believe that on Christmas Eve when the clock strikes twelve; animals get the power of speech. The voice of the animals is heard only to those with pure hearts. Those who are impure will not hear the voice of animals.
In France, people believe that if you chant the genealogy of Christ during mid night then hidden treasures will be exposed of to you.
In Russia, the buried treasures are exposed to heaven every evening that comes between Christmas day and the Feast of Epiphany, as they believe that on the eves of these days, the gates of heaven are opened and the waters of spring turn into wine.

Christmas Eve is as important as Christmas day. It begins the celebration of Christmas. Without celebrating it, Christmas day cannot be celebrated. Although in some countries, the dates and traditions are different but next Christmas try to make this day as important as Christmas day.