Christmas National Holiday

Christmas is a holiday celebrated all across the world. Everyone in the world is happy about the arrival of Christmas. Even the non-Catholics wait for the season of Christmas to come. They are happy because Christmas for them is a long vacation full of enjoyment and fun. For those people who stay in foreign countries that are Christian dominant Christmas brings a chance to meet their relatives who stay far in their home town.

The history of Christmas being celebrated as a national holiday began somewhere around in the year 1870 in the United States of America. Burton Chauncey passed a bill to the House of Representatives. It was then sent to the Senate in the same year on twenty-fourth of June. The president approved it on twenty-eighth of June. When Christmas was declared as a national holiday initially, it was only for the District of Columbia. Along with Christmas, the other days that were declared as a national holiday are the first day of January that is commonly celebrated as New Year feast, Fourth of July that is the Independence Day of America and Thanksgiving Day.

When Christmas was made a national holiday Mr. Grant also declared that no official documents or papers like bank checks, drafts and notes should not be accepted on Christmas day. If such a commercial or negotiable paper is to be used on the said holidays, then they shall be considered as matured on the previous day. It was also declared that no protest should be displayed on Christmas day.

Until today, this practice is followed in all the countries that observe Christmas as a national holiday. Christmas is a national holiday in all the Christian dominant countries but is also the same in those countries that do not have Christian dominance, for example, India. It is commonly seen that on the day of Christmas most of the government offices have holiday

As Christmas is observed as a national holiday, all the office going people are happy as they get time to spend with their family. In some countries, the holiday is only for a single day but in some countries, it extends up to the first week of January.

Being a national holiday, a lot of crowd is seen on the beaches, parks, hill stations and snowy region. People come along with their family. Kids are happy because they get rid of their homework and studies. Some of the countries that observe Christmas as a national holiday are America, England and Australia.

There is a debate on whether Christmas should be declared as a national holiday. People say that there are many such people in the world like Albert Einstein who need to be honored by declaring their birth or death anniversary as a national holiday. However, this does not stop for Christmas lovers from celebrating this festival with fervor and enthusiasm.

Christmas as a national holiday not just is enjoyable but it does unite people of all religions.